Actor Cho Jin-woong, who appeared in the film ‘A Hard Day’. Still photo

There were already traces in the past concerning actor Cho Jin-woong, who acknowledged being a juvenile offender.

A comment on an article related to Cho Jin-woong from October 2012 has resurfaced. On that article, a netizen left a comment: ‘What would the high school classmates of Cho Won-jun (the real name of Cho Jin-woong) think if they saw this post?’

They continued: ‘It may be something from the past, but people from Bundang seem tight-lipped. Anyway, he seems good at acting. Where did he learn the dialect?’ Another netizen who saw the comment continued to question: ‘Why go so far as to talk about how the past was; was he not from Busan? Why Bundang?’

In March 2018, a comment posted in the Cho Jin-woong gallery on the online community DC Inside also became a topic. A netizen wrote: ‘(Cho Jin-woong) attended Seohyeon High School, committed group robbery with classmates, went to prison, and returned to school two years later.’

A netizen who saw this asked: ‘How did you know that? Strictly speaking, it was not a return two years later. He passed the high school equivalency exam and enrolled at Kyungsung University in 1996. You do not seem to know many people; are you from Seohyeon High?’

Another netizen likewise wrote: ‘Won-jun. Why did you guys gather to drink and set fire to an apartment wall? I wonder if you remember that I got you out. Still, it is pleasing that among them you seem to have been the most successful.’

Past articles were also revisited. The case reported on January 26, 1994 under the headline ‘Three high school students sought on warrants for raping a girl using a stolen car’ was widely covered by multiple media outlets. According to that article, the Bangbae Police Station in Seoul requested arrest warrants for three high school students on charges of special theft and robbery-rape.

The three high school students lured a teenage girl on her way home using a stolen luxury sedan, raped her, and took her valuables, and such acts continued four times starting in November 1993. They were said to have stolen luxury sedans parked with the engine running around entertainment districts to commit the crimes and then abandoned the vehicles.

However, it has not been confirmed whether that article is actually related to Cho Jin-woong.

The posts introduced above are seeing continued ‘pilgrimages’ by netizens, with streams of visitors making wishes.

Actor Cho Jin-woong, who appeared in the film ‘A Hard Day’. Provided by Saram Entertainment

On the 5th, a claim was raised that Cho Jin-woong committed vehicle theft and sexual assault during high school and spent time in a juvenile detention center. There was also speculation that this history lay behind his use of the name of his father as a stage name instead of his legal name, Cho Won-jun.

In addition, allegations continued that even after becoming an adult, Cho Jin-woong was fined for assaulting a fellow member during his theater troupe days, and around the time of his appearance in the film ‘Maljukgeori Cruel History’ he had his license revoked for drunk driving.

His side acknowledged some of these allegations. The agency Saram Entertainment issued a statement that day, saying, “Upon checking with the actor, we confirmed that there were wrongful actions during his minor years,” and added, “We clearly state that he was not involved in any acts related to sexual assault.”

It also stated, “The actor himself takes very seriously and is reflecting deeply on the fact that there were moments after becoming an adult when poor judgment caused concern,” and, “We sincerely apologize to all who suffered harm and hurt due to the past wrongs of the actor.”

Finally, it emphasized, “However, the fact that Cho Jin-woong has used the name of his father as a stage name did not stem from a purpose of hiding the past, but from the sincere resolve of the actor to make a pledge to himself and become a better person.”