Actor Jang Dong-ju has suddenly announced his retirement, prompting a swift response from his agency.
On the 17th, Management W shared a statement via their official website, saying, “First, we apologize to the fans who cherish and support actor Jang Dong-ju, as well as those in the culture and arts industry, for causing concern with this sudden news.”
They continued, “The retirement announcement made by actor Jang Dong-ju through the media and SNS was a unilateral decision made by the actor himself without any prior discussion or consultation with our company. We were not informed in advance and only became aware of the situation after the announcement.”
The agency emphasized that this was a highly irresponsible act that betrayed the trust and responsibility expected of an actor under contract, stating firmly, “We make it clear that the responsibility for the confusion and damage caused by this lies entirely with the actor himself.”
They added, “We are doing our best to resolve the situation with the partners and stakeholders who suffered damage due to the actor’s arbitrary decision, and we are responding to this matter with a stern position.”
Finally, they stated, “We believe that the relationship of trust with actor Jang Dong-ju has reached a level where it is virtually irrecoverable, and we plan to carefully review all matters, including whether to maintain the exclusive contract relationship.”
Meanwhile, Jang Dong-ju, who previously faced controversies regarding his disappearance and phone hacking, had recently signed an exclusive contract with Management W to make a comeback. However, on the 15th, he suddenly declared his retirement, saying, “I intend to lay down my life as actor Jang Dong-ju as of today.” He later revealed through a live broadcast that this was due to personal debts amounting to billions of won.
Below is the full official statement from Management W:
Hello. This is Management W.
First, we apologize to the fans who cherish and support actor Jang Dong-ju, as well as those in the culture and arts industry, for causing concern with this sudden news.
The retirement announcement made by actor Jang Dong-ju through the media and SNS was a unilateral decision made by the actor himself without any prior discussion or consultation with our company.
We were not informed in advance and only became aware of the situation after the announcement.
This matter is a highly irresponsible act that betrayed the trust and responsibility expected of an actor during their contract period, and we make it clear that the responsibility for the confusion and damage caused by this lies entirely with the actor himself.
We are doing our best to resolve the situation with the partners and stakeholders who suffered damage due to the actor’s arbitrary decision, and we are responding to this matter with a stern position.
Furthermore, we believe that the relationship of trust with actor Jang Dong-ju has reached a level where it is virtually irrecoverable, and we plan to carefully review all matters, including whether to maintain the exclusive contract relationship.
Once again, we deeply apologize to the fans and those involved for causing concern.
Thank you.
