Also denies allegations of receiving money or expensive gifts
Broadcaster Jo Se-ho. Instagram account screenshot
The agency for broadcaster Jo Se-ho signaled a hard-line response regarding rumors of involvement with organized crime.
A2Z Entertainment, the agency for Jo Se-ho, issued a statement on the 5th, saying, “Mr. A is raising allegations through the social networking service (SNS) account he operates by mentioning the acquaintance between Mr. Choi and Jo Se-ho and asserting that ‘Jo Se-ho is directly or indirectly involved in Mr. Choi’s actions’,” and, “This is nothing more than Mr. A’s personal speculation and is not true.”
It added, “In addition, Mr. A is alleging that ‘Jo Se-ho received money or expensive gifts from Mr. Choi’,” and, “However, we make it clear that this too is nothing more or less than Mr. A’s personal speculation and is unrelated to the facts.”
It also suggested legal action in connection with this. The agency said, “We are actively reviewing civil and criminal legal action against Mr. A in relation to criminal acts such as defamation by stating false facts about the affiliated artist of the agency and obstruction of business.”
At the same time, it said, “To ensure that the activities of the agency’s artist are not undermined by the indiscriminate spread of false claims, we will take strict legal action under a zero-tolerance principle against baseless slander, the creation of malicious posts, and the indiscriminate dissemination of false information and rumors.”
An SNS account that receives reports about various illegal offenders posted, ‘Repent, entertainer Jo Se-ho. Using the excuse of being an acquaintance, you always receive expensive gifts, promote a franchise operated by a member of an organized crime group, and often spend time with Mr. Choi, a key figure in the largest gang in the Geochang area, drinking and receiving expensive gifts. Can a national comedian do that?’ It also shared a photo of Jo Se-ho hugging a person presumed to be Mr. Choi.
It also said, “Mr. Choi is a criminal. He operates various illegal gambling websites and launders gambling funds, and in Korea he launders illegal funds through various legitimate businesses,” adding, “Please explain this post. Gambling is a crime that sickens and ruins society.”
As the post spread, criticism related to Jo Se-ho continued, and the agency issued an immediate statement in response.
