A still photo of actor Jo Jin-woong from the film ‘To the Very End’
Traces of actor Jo Jin-woong, who admitted to multiple criminal acts, are expected to disappear from terrestrial TV.
On the 6th, KBS set to private the documentary ‘Special Envoy of the People Jo Jin-woong, Bringing General Hong Beom-do Home’ that had been posted on its YouTube channel. It had remained public through the 5th, but appears to have been switched after the agency issued its statement.
Released in August 2023, the documentary depicts Jo Jin-woong, in the capacity of a special envoy of the people, bringing back the remains of General Hong Beom-do.
Jo Jin-woong attended both the exhumation ceremony and the repatriation ceremony. He visited a street bearing General Hong Beom-do's name, the Koryo Theater where the general spent his last days, and the cemetery where he was buried alongside compatriots.
Because it is a documentary format in which Jo Jin-woong personally goes to numerous sites, editing is virtually impossible. For this reason, the entire video was set to private.
SBS faces the same predicament. Jo Jin-woong provided narration for the documentary ‘War with Gangs,’ which premiered on the 30th of last month. The documentary addresses the gravity of narcotics. It tracked the realities of gangs in places such as the Philippines, Cambodia, and Ecuador.
Jo Jin-woong was tasked with conveying on-the-ground situations, and the program is slated as a four-part series with the second episode ahead of broadcast.
SBS has decided to remove Jo Jin-woong's voice. It is taking measures for Part 1, which has already aired, as well.
The most urgent situation is at tvN. The drama ‘Second Signal,’ a sequel that drew high expectations after roughly ten years, had already finished filming and was set to air next year.
With Jo Jin-woong in the lead role, this too is uneditable. Finding a replacement actor and reshooting does not look easy either. If, following Season 1, Jo Jin-woong were to air as a justice-driven detective, fierce criticism is expected.
For this reason, tvN has not stated a particular position to date.
On the 5th, a revelation surfaced that Jo Jin-woong committed vehicle theft and sexual assault in high school and spent time in a juvenile detention center. Allegations also followed that, after becoming an adult, he assaulted a troupe member during his theater days and received a fine, and that around the time he appeared in the film ‘The Cruel History of Maljuk Street,’ his license was revoked for drunk driving.
The agency stated on the 5th, “After checking with the actor, we confirmed there were wrongful actions during his minor years,” and added, “But we make it clear that he was not involved in acts related to sexual assault.”
It also stated, “He himself takes very seriously that there were moments after becoming an adult when inadequate judgment caused concern, and he is deeply reflecting,” and added, “We sincerely apologize to everyone who suffered harm and hurt due to the actor’s past faults.”
Jo Jin-woong also issued a statement on the 6th and announced retirement. He said, “I humbly accept all of this reproach and, as of today, intend to halt all activities and put a period to the path of an actor,” adding, “I believe this is the rightful responsibility and duty I must bear for my past wrongs.”
