Actor Jang Dong-joo has suddenly announced his retirement from the entertainment industry, sparking confusion as reports suggest the decision was made without any prior consultation with his agency.
On the 15th, Jang Dong-joo shared on his SNS, “As of today, I intend to let go of my life as actor Jang Dong-joo.” He added, “Although I am leaving the stage, I will never forget the love you have shown me. Every moment I laughed and cried in front of the camera was the brightest time of my life. Thank you sincerely for loving actor Jang Dong-joo until now.”
His agency, Management W, reportedly learned of his retirement through the social media post. A representative stated, “There were no prior discussions regarding retirement. There were no particular issues until recently,” adding, “We are currently unable to reach the actor and are working to confirm the exact situation.”
It has also been confirmed that Jang Dong-joo’s profile has been removed from the official Management W website, although some older content, such as interview articles, still remains.
This isn’t the first time Jang Dong-joo has acted impulsively. Last October, he caused concern among fans when he went missing after posting a short message saying “I’m sorry” on SNS. The agency searched for him, and the situation was resolved after contact was established about four hours later.
Following that incident, Jang Dong-joo revealed he was a victim of phone hacking and blackmail. He disclosed that he suffered financial losses amounting to billions of won, stating, “The damage was so great that my family even had to sell our house.” He also appealed, saying, “I borrowed money by any means necessary. The urgent debts led to more debts, and my whole family suffered greatly.” He later personally refuted speculative comments regarding “body cam” allegations.
Despite the controversy, Jang Dong-joo continued his activities and recently appeared in the SBS drama ‘Today I am Human’. On the 1st, he also announced his appearance in the movie ‘Our Next’. However, his sudden retirement announcement, coming just two weeks after these comeback moves, has left fans in shock.
Born in 1994, Jang Dong-joo debuted in 2012 with the play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Since then, he has appeared in dramas such as ‘School 2017’, ‘Revenge’, ‘Mr. Temporary’, and ‘Trigger’, as well as movies including ‘Honest Candidate’, ‘Count’, and ‘Handsome Guys’.
