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Actor Cho Jin-woong's retirement sparks debate on juvenile accountability

Published: 07 Dec. 2025, 13:53 Updated: 07 Dec. 2025, 16:49

Actor Cho Jin-woong in 2018 [NEW]

An important sociopolitical question has emerged in the face of actor Cho Jin-woong's announcement of retirement after reports of crimes committed when he was a minor came to public light: Until when should a person be held liable for their juvenile wrongdoings?

Public figures are speaking out in support of Cho, whose decision to retire has drawn mixed reactions.

"It has come to light that actor Cho Jin-woong committed crimes while associating with school bullies during his teenage years and spent time in a juvenile facility," Rep. Kim Won-i of the Democratic Party wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.

“This raises serious questions,” Kim continued. “How long and to what extent should someone be held accountable for mistakes made in their youth?”

"Cho Jin-woong, please come back," wrote Father Song Kyong-yong, who runs a shelter for teenagers. “Some of the kids who came to us were from financially stable families, but others had experienced parental divorce, school problems, bullying or domestic violence. For them, visiting police stations over petty or serious offenses was routine, and many ended up in juvenile facilities.”

“Most of those kids are now living good lives after weathering the storm of adolescence,” he continued. “If we judge them today by their pasts, we’re saying they don’t even deserve to breathe freely. Their situations and environments were different. But if someone has accepted the consequences of their actions and is living with remorse, shouldn’t we be encouraging them?”

“If this is how we respond, why run shelters at all? Why should counselors and shelter staff stay up all night for these teens if this is the end result?” said Song.

Actor Cho Jin-woong on Jan. 15 [NEWS1]

Seoul National University law professor emeritus Han In-sup also expressed support for Cho on his own Facebook page. “Cho Jin-woong made mistakes in his youth and received the appropriate legal consequences,” he wrote. “But announcing a complete halt to all activities in response to attempts at public shaming is not the right solution.”

Han emphasized the importance of rehabilitation in juvenile justice. “The juvenile system punishes, but it also aims to educate and redirect — that’s why we use the word ‘school’ instead of ‘juvenile detention center.’”

“It’s commendable that someone with a troubled past has, through decades of effort, earned social recognition,” Han added. “That makes Cho a valuable role model for teens who are still lost in the dark. There’s no need for him to walk around carrying the weight of his past forever.”

Han also criticized the role of the media in the controversy. “If someone dredges up decades-old history for personal, political or sensational reasons in order to destroy someone’s current achievements, it’s not the celebrity who deserves public condemnation — it’s the media responsible for such an attack,” he wrote.

“They should not be buried alive by these efforts. They should stand tall in resistance. The Japanese colonial government tried similar tactics against independence activists — using personal flaws to twist public perception and discredit the cause.”

Singer Lee Jeong-seok also appeared to defend Cho in a now-deleted social media post on Saturday. “Retire from entertainment? Why push someone that far? Were you all that perfect? This world is heartbreaking and filthy,” he wrote. While he did not name anyone directly, the timing led many to interpret it as a response to Cho’s retirement announcement that same day.

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 KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]