Just days after actor Cho Jin Woong announced his sudden retirement, a flood of new allegations has emerged accusing him of ongoing physical abuse against industry colleagues.
It is now alleged that Cho’s misconduct was not limited to his teenage years but continued throughout his career, according to directors, actors and managers who have worked with him.
On December 7th, film director Huh Chul posted a disturbing account on social media. “Someone punched me in the face one day in 2014,” he wrote. “I remember being unilaterally hit many times in a very short period. The person who hit me was Cho Jin Woong.”
Huh Chul described the incident as bewildering. “Cho Jin Woong, who was sitting next to me, suddenly struck me without any reason. When people tried to stop him, he suddenly started crying. I met this actor for the first time that day. It happened inside a car while we were moving after a ritual wishing for the success of a film.”
He added that despite requesting an apology through Cho’s manager, the actor never apologized. “Only his innocent manager knelt before me,” the director recalled. He also noted that on the same night, Cho allegedly assaulted another young actor by pouring ice on him.
The assault involving the young actor corroborates a previous report by Dispatch. According to the outlet, during a wrap party in the 2010s, Cho ordered the actor to sing a specific song. When he apologized for not knowing it, Cho allegedly threw ice from an ice bucket at his face and charged at him, screaming, “You’re ignoring a more experienced actor telling you to sing.”
The allegations extend beyond isolated incidents. Dispatch and other outlets have cited multiple anonymous sources claiming Cho habitually “slapped faces and kicked people” during gatherings.
On December 8th, The Korea Economic Daily reported even more shocking details regarding his behavior on set. According to the report, Cho assaulted a veteran colleague during a movie shoot even after becoming a famous lead actor. The situation escalated to the point where the actor left the set in anger, declaring, “I can’t do this anymore.” It was only then that Cho reportedly offered an apology.
Another witness claimed to have seen Cho physically discipline a younger male actor a few years ago. “He slapped the younger actor and subjected him to disciplinary punishment,” the actor said. “The younger actor wasn’t even that young, so it was incredibly shocking. After seeing that, I avoided Cho unless we were filming.”
A production staff member also shared a personal account, saying, “I was hit by Cho Jin Woong at a company dinner. He kept hitting the back of my head as a ‘joke.’ I was offended, but I didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere, so I just laughed it off and said, ‘You must be drunk.'”
In addition to these claims, allegations have surfaced that Cho was fined for assaulting a fellow theater troupe member during his days as an unknown actor. He is also accused of having his driver’s license revoked for drunk driving while filming the movie Once Upon a Time in High School.
In response to the deluge of accusations, Cho’s agency, Saram Entertainment, issued a brief statement, stating, “Cho Jin Woong has concluded all entertainment activities and retired, so we have nothing to say. We ask for your understanding that it is difficult to convey our position on this matter.”
Cho announced his retirement on December 6th, following reports that he had been sent to a juvenile detention center in high school for crimes including car theft, robbery and selling stolen goods. While his agency admitted to “wrongdoings during his minor years,” they denied allegations of sexual assault.
>> Cho Jin Woong Accused of Hiding Juvenile Criminal Record, Agency Responds
