[Exclusive]Jang Dong-ju, who retired amid 4 billion won in debt, participates in secret U.S. audition… seeks Hollywood breakthrough [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Jang Dong-ju, who halted his acting career in South Korea after taking on hundreds of millions of won in debt, is targeting overseas stages. He is reportedly embarking on new moves with the goal of breaking into Hollywood in the United States.

According to a StarNews investigation on the 29th, Jang Dong-ju has recently participated in auditions for overseas productions under strict confidentiality and is exploring global activities. It was reported that he is laying the groundwork for overseas work by contacting multiple overseas production companies and related parties, building local networks with an eye toward the possibility of entering Hollywood.

Jang Dong-ju studied abroad during his childhood in Auckland, New Zealand, and Minnesota, United States. Through his time living locally, he has gained an understanding of English and Western culture, and is now preparing for global activities based on this foundation. Recently, he has expanded his scope of activity by hosting TikTok live broadcasts in English to communicate directly with overseas fans.

He is also beginning to implement a "two-track" strategy that combines domestic business operations with global activities. In particular, Woo-sun Group Co., Ltd., which Jang Dong-ju leads, is expected to serve as an important foundation in the process of promoting future overseas activities and global projects.

Previously, on the 21st, Jang Dong-ju told StarNews that Woo-sun Group has formulated a medium-to-long-term growth strategy for its initial public offering (IPO) and is strengthening its business competitiveness. At the time, Jang explained, "Based on the experience accumulated in the content and entertainment fields through acting activities, as well as experience in academy and agency businesses, we are expanding the concretization of our business while broadening Woo-sun Group's business portfolio into a company encompassing investment, culture and arts, and space-related projects."

It was reported that Jang Dong-ju has received management lessons by closely learning about corporate management and organizational operations from his father, Jang Myeong-cheon (Chairman), who has operated World General Construction for several decades. Based on this, it is explained that he has maintained a continuous interest in the company's growth strategy, investment, and business expansion, separate from his acting activities.

He plans to expand his scope of activity beyond South Korea to overseas markets while concurrently engaging in corporate management and entertainment activities. To this end, Jang Dong-ju is preparing for entry into the global content market by broadly reviewing the establishment of local networks in the United States, strengthening his English acting capabilities, and the possibility of participating in overseas auditions and productions.

After expanding his scope of activity from actor to creator and entrepreneur, Jang Dong-ju is now turning toward overseas stages again, taking on new challenges.

Previously, Jang Dong-ju began his acting career in 2012 with the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Since then, he has appeared in numerous works, including the dramas "School 2017," "Revenge: Back to School," "Mr. Substitute Teacher," "I'll Be Your Night," and "Trigger," as well as the films "Honest Candidate," "Count," and "Handsome Guys." He also continued his activities as an actor by appearing in the SBS drama "I'm Human Starting Today," which ended in February.

However, Jang Dong-ju made headlines last May by suddenly declaring his retirement from acting. At the time, he explained the reason for his retirement, stating, "Of the approximately 4 billion won in debt incurred due to damage from a Daejeon-related hacking and extortion incident, I have repaid more than 3 billion won, but still owe about 800 million won, making it difficult to carry out normal acting activities."

Subsequently, he expanded his scope of activity as a creator. In July last year, he signed an exclusive contract with Universe Label, a YouTube live content company led by Ryu Jae-yeong (CEO), laying the foundation for his comeback. After the contract, Jang Dong-ju made his first appearance on Spartacus Label's live broadcast, operated by Universe Label. It was reported that he recorded approximately 20 million won in sponsorship funds in just one live session.

He also performed well on TikTok. Jang Dong-ju advanced to the A1 League within just three weeks of starting his live broadcasts and secured victories in live matches against celebrity-turned-creators such as actor Park Si-hoo and singer-producer MC Mong. It was reported that he had previously earned an average daily income of about 1 million won through TikTok Live, with monthly earnings ranging from 30 million to 4 billion won.

At the time, Jang Dong-ju demonstrated a firm resolve to repay all remaining debts while engaging in activities across various fields. He stated, "Right now, I am doing my best without discrimination in any work, and repaying all remaining debts is my biggest goal," adding, "After fulfilling all responsibilities, if given the opportunity, I also have the desire to return as actor Jang Dong-ju."

Since declaring the suspension of his acting activities, Jang Dong-ju has focused on corporate management and creator activities. Recently, he has participated in overseas production auditions, exploring new possibilities. Attention is focused on Jang Dong-ju's future moves as he takes a step further from activities aimed at debt repayment, seeking to expand his scope of activity to include entrepreneur, creator, and the global stage.

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*This content was translated by AI.