Actor Cho Jin-woong has been hit with reports alleging a past as a juvenile offender, and his agency says it’s looking into the claims.
“This is the first we heard of the allegations, through today’s report. We are currently verifying the facts and will share our position once confirmed,” a representative for Saram Entertainment said this morning.
Entertainment outlet Dispatch reported that Cho was allegedly involved in serious crimes while in high school and received a juvenile protection disposition, leading to his placement in a juvenile facility. According to the report, he and a group allegedly stole a parked car and were implicated in a sexual assault, with Cho said to have stood trial as a high school junior on charges of robbery and rape.
Dispatch also claimed that after enrolling in Kyungsung University’s Theater and Film program in 1996 and beginning his acting career, Cho became entangled in altercations and committed DUI during his rookie years.
The outlet further cited acquaintances who speculated that Cho’s decision to work under his father’s name rather than his birth name, Cho Won-joon, may have been an attempt to distance himself from his alleged past.
Cho is currently filming the sequel to "Signal," titled "The Second Signal."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)