LayarHijau— A storm of controversy has arisen following recent media reports claiming that actor Cho Jin-woong was sent to a juvenile detention facility during his high school years after being accused of vehicle theft and sexual assault. His agency says it is now working to verify the allegations.
According to entertainment outlet Dispatch, the alleged criminal trial took place while Cho was in his second year of high school. The report says charges at the time included robbery and rape under Korea’s Specific Crime Aggravation law.
The article quotes an anonymous source who claims that Cho and others attempted sexual assault inside a stolen vehicle — resulting in his transfer to a juvenile detention center for the remainder of his high school period.
Other separate claims have surfaced: that early in his acting career, Cho allegedly assaulted a fellow theater colleague and was fined, and that he once had his driver’s license revoked after a drunk-driving incident. Dispatch also noted that “Cho Jin-woong” is reportedly a stage name borrowed from his father, whereas his legal name is Jo Won-jun — prompting speculation the alias was adopted to conceal the alleged criminal past. However, no concrete evidence has been provided so far to support these claims.
His agency, Saram Entertainment, has told several outlets, “We are reviewing the facts surrounding the reports” and “will issue an official statement once verification is complete.”
Attempts by Chosun.com to directly contact the agency went unanswered. A representative said only that “everyone responsible is currently unavailable.”
Cho Jin-woong made his debut in 2004 with the film Once Upon a Time in High School, and went on to star in popular films such as Assassination, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, as well as the television drama Signal.
