49-year-old Korean actor Cho Jin-woong, widely known for acclaimed works such as the drama Signal, and movies like The Drug King and Believer, has recently been filming Signal 2 after a 10-year hiatus. However, he was exposed for being a delinquent in his youth with multiple criminal records. Korean media outlet Dispatch reported that during high school, Cho Jin-woong conspired with others to steal a car, and allegedly attempted to commit sexual assault in the car. In his second year of high school, he was charged under the “Special Law” for robbery and rape, and was sent to a juvenile detention center. One day after the report, his agency, Saram Entertainment, released a statement confirming: “After verifying with the actor himself, it is true that he engaged in inappropriate behavior as a minor,” and issued an apology on his behalf: “We express our sincerest apologies,” but denied any involvement in sexual assault, emphasizing he had nothing to do with sexual violence.
Saram Entertainment stated that the case mentioned in the report happened more than 30 years ago. “The actor has also, after reaching adulthood, caused public concern due to poor judgment, for which he is taking this matter very seriously and is deeply reflecting on his actions,” and the agency apologized on behalf of Cho Jin-woong: “To all those who have been hurt or suffered due to the actor’s past mistakes, we express our sincerest apologies. We also apologize to everyone who has supported Cho Jin-woong, and for letting you down.”
Source: Apple Online News