Actor Cho Byung-kyu (30) is set to temporarily halt his acting activities and prepare for military enlistment within this year.
Cho, who is currently starring in the play "Myeonhoe" (Visitation), recently appeared on the YouTube channel "One Mike" and announced that he would temporarily stop acting to enlist in the military.
Cho shared, "About two years ago, I applied for KATUSA (Korean Augmentation to the United States Army) and passed the English test, but I didn't make it in the random draw. I'm taking it positively because if I had passed back then, I wouldn't be standing on the theater stage now," adding that he plans to enlist in the regular Army.
Last September, Cho parted ways with HB Entertainment, his agency of 13 years, after his exclusive contract ended. He is currently working without a management agency. Regarding this, he expressed gratitude to the company that was with him from his debut through his peak and difficult times, adding that they still keep in touch while he carefully considers finding a new agency.
Cho also explained his reason for choosing the two-person play "Myeonhoe," saying, "I wanted to guard against falling into complacency amidst comfort."
Cho faced a crisis in his career in 2021 when he became embroiled in allegations of school bullying. At the time, he filed a multi-billion-won damages lawsuit against an accuser who claimed to have experienced school violence during Cho's study abroad period in New Zealand, but he lost the first trial last September, and the appeal is currently ongoing.
Photo: Reporter Baek Seung-chul
kykang@sbs.co.kr
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