South Korean Actor Cho Jinwoong Retires Over Past Misconduct

South Korean actor Cho Jinwoong, renowned for his portrayals of principled characters in films and television, announced his retirement from acting on Saturday following revelations about misconduct he committed as a minor more than three decades ago.

The 49-year-old performer, best known internationally for his lead role in the 2016 crime thriller series Signal, faced widespread scrutiny after a local media report detailed incidents from 1994, when he was a high school student. According to the report, Cho was involved in theft, including the robbery of a vehicle, and served time in a juvenile detention facility as a result. Additional unverified claims emerged online about other offenses, such as drink-driving, though these have not been substantiated by official statements.

Cho's agency, SARAM Entertainment, confirmed on Friday that the actor had engaged in wrongful acts during his teenage years but emphasized that the events occurred over 30 years ago, making it challenging to fully verify the circumstances. The agency firmly denied any involvement in sexual assault, a more serious allegation raised in some reports, stating that such claims were unrelated to Cho's past...