Actor Cho Byung-kyu (30) will temporarily halt his acting career within this year and prepare for military enlistment.

Cho, who is currently starring in the play "Visitation," recently appeared on the YouTube channel "One Mic" and announced that he would temporarily suspend his acting activities 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 was not selected in the lottery. Since I wouldn't have been able to stand on this theater stage if I had passed back then, I am taking it in a positive light," adding that he plans to enlist in the regular army.

In September of last year, Cho parted ways with HB Entertainment, his agency of 13 years, after their exclusive contract ended. He is currently continuing his activities without a separate agency. Regarding this, he said, "I expressed my gratitude to the company that was with me from my debut, through my heyday, and during difficult times, and we still keep in touch," adding that he is carefully considering a new agency.

Cho also explained why he chose the two-person play "Visitation," stating, "I wanted to guard against falling into complacency within comfort."

Cho faced a crisis in his career when he became embroiled in school bullying allegations in 2021. He filed a multi-billion-won damages lawsuit (approximately 4 billion won) against an accuser who claimed to have suffered school violence during Cho's study abroad days in New Zealand, but he lost the first trial in September of last year, and the appeal is currently ongoing.

(Photo: Reporter Baek Seung-cheol)



(SBS Star News, reported by Reporter Kang Kyung-yoon)