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Actor Jo Jin-woong, engulfed in the ‘juvenile offender scandal’, has announced his retirement.

On the 6th, through his agency Saram Entertainment, Jo Jin-woong said, “I bow my head in apology for disappointing all those who trusted and supported me due to past disgraceful incidents,” and added, “I will humbly accept all the reproach, and as of today, I intend to halt all activities and put a period to the path of an actor.”

Regarding his retirement, he added, “I believe this is the rightful responsibility and duty I must bear for my past misdeeds,” and “Going forward, as a human being, I will do my utmost to reflect so that I can stand upright on my own.”

The entertainment outlet Dispatch reported on the 5th allegations that during his high school years, Jo Jin-woong committed car theft and sexual assault and therefore spent time in a juvenile correctional facility. It also included claims that after his acting debut, he had a record of assault and drunk driving.

In response, the agency issued an official statement saying, “Upon checking, we confirmed there were wrongful actions during his underage years.” However, it drew a line: “We clearly state that he was unrelated to acts involving sexual assault.”

However, the agency did not specify which parts of the allegations were true and said, “It is difficult to fully ascertain the circumstances more than 30 years later.”

Jo Jin-woong also appeared in the 2016 hit tvN drama ‘Signal’, and the follow-up ‘Second Signal’, which reunites the main cast, has completed filming and is set for release in 2026. The scandal and his decision to retire are expected to cause disruptions to the broadcast.

The SBS special documentary ‘War Against Crime’, for which Jo Jin-woong served as narrator, has re-recorded with a replacement commentator starting with the episode scheduled to air on the 7th,and Part 1 that has already aired is also expected to be revised.

After working as a stage actor, Jo Jin-woong made his film debut in 2004 as a discipline monitor in ‘The Cruel History of Maljuk Street’. He has since appeared in lead and supporting roles in films including ‘A Vicious Street’ (2006), ‘War Against Crime: The Heyday of Bad Guys’ (2012), ‘Myeongnyang’ (2014), and ‘Dokjeon’ (2018), building a career in Chungmuro and on the small screen.