Actor Jung Woo-sung. Yonhap News.

Actor Jung Woo-sung has kept his mouth shut for the sake of the project. However, that silence instead appears to highlight allegations that have not been resolved.

On the afternoon of the 15th, a production presentation for the Disney+ original series ‘Made in Korea’ was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Parnas Hotel in Seoul. The event drew intense attention as it was the first official drama promotion where Jung Woo-sung stood before the public since the personal-life controversy that continued over the past year.

Playing prosecutor Jang Geon-yeong, Jung Woo-sung focused on expressing his affection for and sense of responsibility toward the work. He described it as “a searing story that cuts across the turbulent 1970s,” emphasized its level of completion, and mentioned his rapport with fellow actors as he helped lead the atmosphere on set.

However, beneath the amicable mood of the session, a palpable tension lingered. That is because the ‘private-life issue’ surrounding Jung Woo-sung is still ongoing.

In November last year, Jung Woo-sung acknowledged that he is the biological father of a son born to model Moon Ga-bi, while also stating “I will not marry,” placing himself at the center of debate over ‘nonmarital childbirth’. Subsequently, reports of a long-term relationship with a non-celebrity woman, so-called ‘transfer dating’ allegations, and controversy over flirtatious direct messages on social media broke one after another, dealing a heavy blow to his previously gentlemanly image.

At the time, Jung Woo-sung made an official statement at an awards ceremony apologizing for controversy over his personal life, but the ‘marriage-registration rumor’ that surfaced in August remains not clearly resolved. One outlet reported that he had “become a legal couple with a long-term non-celebrity partner,” but his agency took an ambiguous stance, saying “We cannot confirm because it is a private matter.” The allegation that he refused marriage with Moon Ga-bi yet completed marriage registration with another partner caused great confusion among the public, but Jung Woo-sung has maintained silence without either affirming or denying it.

Attention focused on whether he would address these matters at the briefing, but Jung Woo-sung held back when asked about his private life. It is interpreted as ‘strategic silence’, out of concern that his personal affairs could create noise around a 70-billion-scale blockbuster into which the production team and fellow actors have poured their efforts.

However, the firmly closed lips for the sake of the work have not allowed him to remove the label that still follows him. Without a clear explanation, items such as the ‘marriage-registration rumor’ and the ‘two-timing allegation’ remain as question marks.

Through ‘Made in Korea’, Jung Woo-sung is showing determination to prove overwhelming capability as an actor and to break through the risks tied to his private life head-on. Whether he can strip away the uneasy label left amid ‘silence’ and win back the public purely with his acting is drawing attention.