Actor Jo Jin-woong's Retirement Sparks Uncertainty for tvN's 'Second Signal'

Actor Jo Jin-woong has announced his retirement after acknowledging his past as a juvenile offender, causing a ripple effect on tvN's upcoming series 'Second Signal'.

Reports surfaced that Jo Jin-woong was involved in serious crimes during his high school years, including car theft and being implicated in a sexual assault case, which led to his detention in a juvenile facility.

On the 6th, Jo issued an apology, stating, "I sincerely apologize to everyone who believed in and supported me for the disappointment caused by my past misconduct. I humbly accept all criticism and have decided to end all my activities and retire from acting as of today. I believe this is the rightful responsibility and duty I must bear for my past mistakes."

With Jo's retirement, attention has turned to the fate of 'Second Signal', set to premiere in 2026. The series, a sequel to the 2016 hit 'Signal', stars Kim Hye-soo, Jo Jin-woong, and Lee Je-hoon. Filming began in February and wrapped up in August.

Given that filming for 'Second Signal' is complete, removing Jo's scenes or reshooting with a new actor is practically impossible, casting doubt on the series' broadcast. The production company and network are now faced with difficult decisions.

The eight-episode series reportedly involved a production budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars. With the potential loss of this investment, along with the efforts of fellow actors and staff, Jo may face penalties amounting to tens of millions of dollars. Breach of contract for failing to maintain a good image could result in a penalty over twice his appearance fee, plus additional costs for reshooting.

tvN stated, "We are in post-production and still discussing the situation, so nothing has been decided yet. We will monitor the controversy and discuss future programming directions."

The broadcasting industry is actively distancing itself from Jo Jin-woong. SBS has replaced him as the narrator for the four-part documentary 'War with Gangs', and KBS has made the documentary 'Special Envoy Jo Jin-woong, Bringing General Hong Beom-do' private.

By Kim Se-ah, TenAsia Reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr