South Korean actor Jo Jin-woong admitted on the 6th to having committed serious crimes as a minor and announced his withdrawal from the entertainment industry, immediately putting the highly anticipated tvN drama ‘Signal 2’, starring him, into a full-blown crisis. According to a report by ‘Sports Seoul’, the series has already finished filming with post-production currently underway, but because it involves a key lead actor, either recutting or reshooting is seen as practically impossible. Internal sources revealed the production team is facing unprecedented difficulties: “The actor has exited, but there’s nothing that can be done to adjust the work itself.”
Jo Jin-woong’s past history resurfaced recently. Early on the 6th, he admitted through his agency that he was reckless and ignorant in his youth, confessing responsibility for both his involvement in gangs in high school and for violent behavior after his debut. Later that night, he again announced via his agency that he is withdrawing from acting, “drawing a period to my career as an actor.” He expressed deep apology to his supportive fans and to those in society who had trusted him, promising to thoroughly reflect on himself and become a person with a clear conscience.
‘Signal 2’ is the sequel to the hit 2016 drama ‘Signal’, returning after a decade, with screenwriter Kim Eun-hee at the helm once again. Kim Hye-soo, Lee Je-hoon, and Jo Jin-woong all reprise their original roles, and the project was seen as a major event for tvN’s 20th anniversary. Jo Jin-woong continues in the story-driving lead role of Detective Lee Jae-han. According to production staff, “He is not a replaceable role, but the central character of the plot. If he is removed or recast, the whole show would have to be reshot.” On top of that, it is nearly impossible to re-adjust schedules for top stars Kim Hye-soo and Lee Je-hoon, with massive sums already invested in the production, making a total reshoot widely regarded as unrealistic in the industry.
At present, the only solutions considered by the team include releasing the show as scheduled, delaying the premiere, or moving the release exclusively to an OTT platform, but every option carries significant consequences. If aired as planned, it may trigger a public backlash; postponing would result in investment and advertising losses; restricting the release to OTT alone would dilute the symbolic significance of tvN’s anniversary project.
Fans who have waited for years for the sequel now face uncertainty over whether the series finale will ever be aired due to the lead actor’s scandal. Online, many lament “waiting 10 years only for this to happen,” and some believe that whether it airs or not, it remains a painful situation. tvN is currently preparing an official statement, and the entire industry considers the unfolding of this case to be an extremely rare precedent in K-drama history.