Film director Heo Chul revealed the shocking details of an unprovoked attack by former actor Jo Jin Woong, now retired, calling it a traumatizing shock.

Heo Chul posted about the incident on Facebook on Dec. 7, 2025, saying, "For the first time in my adulthood... I was assaulted. One day in 2014, someone punched me in the face. I remember being hit a lot in a very short span of time, unable to fight back because people around us immediately started restraining me. And this didn't even happen late at night. It happened inside a car while we were on the move after completing a ritual to pray for the success of one director's film," Koreaboo reported.

He mentioned that the perpetrator was Jo Jin Woong and this was their first time seeing each other. He said, "The person who hit me was actor Jo Jin Woong. He was sitting next to me, and without any reason, he suddenly struck me. When people tried to stop him, he suddenly started crying. I was stunned. What the?! What kind of absurd situation is this?"

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Maeil Shinmun further added that another actor, who was a rookie in his 20s back then, was also assaulted by Jo Jin Woong. Heo continued by remembering how he tried to obtain an official apology by saying, "I requested a formal apology through his manager. But he never apologized. Only his manager, who had done nothing wrong, knelt in front of me, completely lost on what to do."

The director further explained that he suffered trauma from the incident and would even avoid watching Jo Jin Woong on screen. "Even after several days, he still didn't apologize. He said he didn't remember. The memory of that moment kept coming back, and anger would surge. It became a trauma," Heo explained to Koreaboo.

Heo Chul nonetheless concluded his post with a note of forgiveness that was surprising in the face of such painful memories: "I realized my anger wasn't toward this actor. It was toward society, toward the looks and finger-pointing that push someone into retirement... I truly hope he can continue his acting career," he said, according to Maeil Shinmun.

The netizens on theqoo commented on Heo's posting, identifying the sarcastic tone. Some of them said, "He's totally roasting Jo Jin Woong LOL," and "You can totally tell he's roasting Jo... Looks like a repeated pattern," emphasising the scepticism of people about the actor's behaviour.

The disclosures have sparked discussions of accountability within the Korean entertainment industry, and many have lauded Heo Chul's decision to share his experience while balancing candor with forgiveness.

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