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Media outlet claims actor Cho Jin-woong was sent to juvenile detention as a minor for serious crimes

Published: 05 Dec. 2025, 15:37

Actor Cho Jin-woong [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A recent article released on Friday is claiming that Cho Jin-woong was sent to a juvenile detention center for committing serious crimes as a minor. His agency said that it is currently working to verify the claims.

Domestic entertainment outlet Dispatch reported on Friday that Cho, during his high school years, was involved in crimes such as sexual assault and theft, and received a juvenile protection disposition resulting in his admission to a juvenile detention facility.

The outlet also reported that in 2003, while working as a theater actor, Cho was fined for assaulting a fellow theater member during an outing, and that he also had his driver’s license revoked for driving under the influence.

Cho made his film debut in January 2004 with “Once Upon a Time in High School,” and began using the name "Cho Jin-woong" — his father’s name — instead of his birth name, Cho Won-jun.

Sources cited by the outlet claimed, “How could he have used his real name after doing something like that?” suggesting that the name change was meant to conceal his criminal past.

Regarding the allegations, Cho’s agency Saram Entertainment stated, “We are in the process of verifying the facts,” adding, “We will issue an official statement later.”

Cho is currently appearing in SBS’s current affairs program “Chasing Borderless Crime,” and is set to star in the upcoming tvN drama “The Second Signal” — his first project in 10 years with co-stars Kim Hye-soo and Lee Je-hoon, scheduled for release next year.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]