Actor Jang Dong-ju, who suddenly announced his retirement. Provided by the agency

Actor Jang Dong-ju has suddenly announced his retirement.

On the 15th, Jang Dong-ju wrote on his social networking service (SNS) Instagram, “As of today, I intend to set down my life as the actor Jang Dong-ju. Although I am leaving the stage, I will never forget the support you have given me.”

He continued, “I have lived for a long time under the name of actor and received so much love and support,” adding, “Every moment I laughed and cried in front of the camera was the most brilliant time in my life.”

It is effectively an announcement of retirement from acting. Last October, he abruptly declared he was going off the grid, causing concern. At the time, he posted a black background on Instagram with the words “I am sorry,” and then all contact was cut off. His whereabouts were confirmed a day later and the incident wrapped up as a brief episode, but he parted ways with his agency.

On January 29, Jang Dong-ju also revealed that he suffered damages amounting to tens of billions of won due to a mobile phone hacking. He said, “My mobile phone was completely hacked, and because of the ensuing threats, from that day to today, not a single day has been anything but hell,” adding, “In that way I lost tens of billions, our family is in pain, and I am sitting on a pile of debt.”

Afterward, Jang Dong-ju signed an exclusive contract with a new agency and, aiming for a comeback, appeared as Hyun Woo-seok in the SBS drama ‘Although I Am Human From Today’ that aired starting in January, but he ultimately chose to retire.

Jang Dong-ju debuted in 2017 with KBS ‘School 2017’ and worked for about nine years, appearing in ‘Mr. Temporary’ (2019), the film ‘Honest Candidate’ (2020), ‘Count’ (2023), and ‘Handsome Guys’ (2024).