‘Rape juvenile offender,’ playing a righteous detective… “Jo Jin-woong AI replacement failed” — ‘Signal 2’ embraces the criminal [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

‘Signal 2’ will proceed with its broadcast while retaining controversial actor Jo Jin-woong (50, real name Jo Won-jun).

In December last year, it was revealed that Jo had received a juvenile protection disposition during his teenage years (juvenile offender), causing an uproar in public opinion. According to reports by entertainment media Dispatch at the time, Jo faced criminal trial for robbery and rape under the Special Punishment Act (based on 1994 standards) while in high school and was sent to a juvenile correctional facility.

Furthermore, it was revealed that he had caused social controversy even after his debut. He received a fine for assault charges after beating a theater troupe member in 2003, and it is reported that he had his driver’s license revoked after being caught drunk driving in 2007, following his debut with the film ‘Tale of the Legendary Gang’ (2004). He also faced suspicions of assaulting rookie actor A, a manager, and staff at a movie company dinner party in the 2010s.

In response, Jo Jin-woong stated, “I bow my head in apology to everyone who believed in and supported me for the disappointment caused by my past disgraceful incidents. I humbly accept all this criticism and intend to suspend all activities as of today, putting a period on my path as an actor,” adding, “I believe this is the proper responsibility and duty I must bear for my past mistakes,” declaring his retirement.

Jo Jin-woong left the entertainment industry disgracefully after 21 years since his debut. However, the backlash splattered directly onto tvN’s new drama ‘The Second Signal’ (hereinafter ‘Signal 2’). ‘Signal 2’ was a major work receiving attention as it was produced to commemorate tvN’s 20th anniversary of opening and the 10th anniversary of Season 1’s broadcast, but its scheduling was indefinitely postponed due to being held back by the Jo Jin-woong controversy.

Moreover, in ‘Signal 2,’ Jo Jin-woong took on the role of righteous detective Lee Jae-han, continuing from Season 1, and completed filming. Consequently, his serious misconduct completely undermined the work’s sincerity and viewer immersion even before its broadcast.

However, the production team of ‘Signal 2’ decided to proceed with Jo Jin-woong included. On the 6th, tvN stated, “We are taking seriously the concerns and opinions sent by viewers regarding ‘Signal 2.’ The wrongful past actions of a specific actor are an issue that cannot be viewed lightly even as a channel,” while emphasizing, “However, ‘Signal 2’ is not the work of one specific actor. It is a joint creative work containing the time and effort of many staff, production crew, and related parties from the planning stage to filming and post-production.”

They stated, “We believe it is necessary to distinguish between the evaluation of an individual actor, the value of the work itself, and the efforts of the creators who participated in it,” adding, “Therefore, after much deliberation, with a cautious mindset, we intend to schedule ‘Signal 2’ as a tvN Monday-Tuesday drama starting December 7.”

They continued, “Considering comprehensively the genre characteristics of the work and viewing environment, etc., we plan to broadcast at 10 p.m., later than the existing time slot,” explaining, “Also, considering the development of the 8th-episode series and the overall viewing flow, we will broadcast up to Episode 3 in the first week. On the premiere day, within the range that maximally maintains the flow and immersion of the story, we will partially reduce and adjust the content of Episode 1 to schedule Episodes 1 and 2 consecutively, and plan to broadcast Episode 3, where the main story begins, the next day. After that, we will continue broadcasting one episode each on Mondays and Tuesdays.”

The problematic actor Jo Jin-woong is expected to appear without editing. tvN requested understanding, stating, “Until this decision was made, we examined various ways to maintain the work’s completeness while minimizing concerns. We sought revision methods using video technology and also conducted character replacement tests utilizing AI (artificial intelligence). However, due to limitations in naturally implementing acting expression and narrative flow, final application of the relevant technology is difficult.”

Additionally, tvN repeatedly stated, “We clearly state that the release of the work does not mean endorsing or justifying the issue. While this decision may be difficult to resolve all the concerns sent, we judged that it must also consider the efforts of those who waited a long time for the work and the numerous actors, staff, and production crew who did their best in their respective positions to complete the work. We will convey the original story and meaning of ‘Signal 2’ valuably while not forgetting our responsibility as a channel.”

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original