[Exclusive] What Happened Before Jang Dong-joo’s Sudden Retirement? Police Called Over Unpaid Bar Bill

Actor Jang Dong-joo, who recently shocked fans by announcing his retirement, was reportedly caught up in a stir involving the police at an entertainment establishment over an unpaid bill right before his announcement.

According to sources on the 15th, Jang Dong-joo visited a bar in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul alone on the night of the 14th. The bill for the night reportedly totaled around 3 million won.

It is said that Jang Dong-joo received 10 million won from the establishment as a pre-payment, claiming that an acquaintance would handle the payment. However, when the acquaintance failed to show up by 3 AM on the 15th, the establishment contacted the police, who then arrived on the scene.

A source told SBS Entertainment News, “We understand that Jang Dong-joo was allowed to go home after promising to deposit 13 million won by 6 PM the following day. Shortly after, the post about his retirement was uploaded to SNS.”

This isn’t the first time Jang Dong-joo has made headlines for erratic behavior. Last year, he caused a stir by disappearing after posting “I’m sorry” on SNS. Additionally, in January, he claimed to have suffered billions of won in damages due to phone hacking and threats.

Earlier on the 15th, Jang Dong-joo announced his retirement from the entertainment industry via SNS, stating, “As of today, I intend to lay down my life as actor Jang Dong-joo.” He expressed his gratitude to fans, saying, “Every moment I laughed and cried in front of the camera was the most shining time of my life.”

His agency expressed bewilderment, stating that the retirement was “not discussed in advance.” Some media outlets have reported that he is currently unreachable. SBS Entertainment News attempted to contact Jang Dong-joo directly, but he has not responded.

Jang Dong-joo debuted in 2012 with the play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and has since appeared in dramas such as ‘School 2017’, ‘Revenge Man’, and ‘I’ll Be Your Night’, as well as the films ‘Count’ and ‘Handsome Guys’.