Actor Jo Jin Woong, whose full legal name is Jo Won Joon, is feeling the swift industry backlash since he revealed his past criminal record and announced his retirement from the entertainment world.
His retreat has taken effect with production decisions by the three major Korean broadcasters, while tvN's highly anticipated sequel, "The Second Signal," now puts into question its status.
Koreaboo reported that several networks started to cut ties immediately after the news broke, with Jo's projects that had been ongoing for a long time under review or pulled from schedules. The first to go was his narration work for SBS's crime documentary War On Gangs.
SBS explained, "We re-recorded the narration and are also taking necessary measures regarding Part 1, which already aired. Beginning with Part 2, scheduled for December 7, Jo's voice will be entirely removed."
Further actions were taken at KBS, which barred the public from accessing a documentary that featured Jo. The network, according to Maeil Kyungje, changed the visibility of its program "Special Envoy Jo Jin Woong: Bringing General Hong Beom Do Home" on YouTube as the concerns grew.
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The report noted that the documentary "remained public until December 5, but it has since been quietly hidden following reports about the actor's past criminal record."
It's more complicated for tvN, which had cast Jo to star in "The Second Signal," the follow-up to its hit 2016 drama"Signal," alongside Kim Hye Soo and Lee Je Hoon. The project was positioned as the network's flagship release for early 2026.
However, both viewers and industry insiders have questioned whether Jo's past conflicts with the show's themes of "justice, conscience, responsibility, and humanity."
Since then, lawyers have revealed some of the possible financial implications for Jo in case of a production halt or reshoot. Koreaboo cited estimates that the fines could be substantial:
The report said, "According to legal experts, Jo Jin Woong may be facing at least ₩2.00 billion KRW...(about $1.36 million USD) in penalties for violating the morality clause in his contract."
Lawtalk News further detailed how standard K-drama contracts impose heavy penalties on lead actors whose scandals derail production timelines, estimating Jo's per-episode earnings along with corresponding liability ranges.
""Typically speaking, K-Drama leads now agree to a rate that is two to three times their appearance fee, should they cause a scandal and impact production," the legal analysis explained.
If it leads to reshoots, the costs could even go up to "tens of billions of won," which lawyers say can be sought from the actor. tvN is yet to make a final decision on this, and with Jo Jin Woong's mounting financial exposure, "The Second Signal's" future remains uncertain.
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