Jo Se-ho. Yonhap News

After news broke of broadcaster Jo Se-ho’s return, the whistleblower who previously raised the allegation of ‘gang ties’ spoke up again.

On the 31st, as Jo Se-ho announced his resumed activities by joining the Netflix variety show ‘Do-Driver 4,’ Mr. A, who first raised the suspicions, posted a series of warning messages toward Jo on his social media the same day. Mr. A expressed displeasure, saying, “Mr. Jo Se-ho is returning? Because (the gangster acquaintance) has fled overseas. Because they can’t investigate, he’s suddenly returning?”

He went on, “Oh, sure, go ahead and return. Then I’ll release the video I filmed at home with my wife,” foreshadowing a disclosure, and added, “I told you to lie low and then come back, but now you want to go head-to-head with me. Fine.” Questioning the relationship between Jo Se-ho and the individual in question, Mr. A said, “Just casual acquaintances? If it’s just casual, why introduce your wife before the wedding and drink together at home?”

Mr. A, the initial whistleblower who raised the allegation of Jo Se-ho’s ‘gang ties,’ has spoken up again. Social media screenshot

Previously, Mr. A claimed that Jo Se-ho had a very close relationship with Mr. Choi, a gang member facing allegations including operating an illegal gambling site, and he further fueled controversy by bringing up suspicions of receiving expensive gifts and even his wife’s acquaintance with him. In response, Jo Se-ho’s side drew a line, stating, “He is merely a casual acquaintance met at a local event, and the quid pro quo suspicion is groundless.”

However, as the suspicions spread, Jo Se-ho voluntarily left the programs he had been appearing on, including KBS2’s ‘2 Days & 1 Night’ and tvN’s ‘You Quiz on the Block,’ and halted his activities. Then, after a little over a month, news of his joining Netflix’s ‘Do-Driver 4’ emerged, making his return official.

Netflix said, “We are preparing a new season of ‘Do-Driver,’ and Mr. Jo Se-ho will join season 4 following season 3.” ‘Do-Driver’ is a variety show directed by PD Park In-seok, who also directed KBS2’s ‘Hong Kim Dong-jeon,’ and features Hong Jin-kyung, Joo Woo-jae, Kim Sook, and Jang Woo-young, among others.

Meanwhile, Mr. A has again signaled additional revelations over Jo Se-ho’s return and is escalating his response, drawing attention to the potential fallout.