On the 17th, Jang Dong-ju spoke to fans via an SNS live stream. “I’m sorry for causing concern with recent events. First of all, I’m doing okay. While a lot has happened, as you might worry, I am healthy and well. You don’t need to worry,” he shared.
Fans noticed visible injuries on his face during the stream. He initially claimed, “These are injuries from a creditor,” adding, “It would have been better if I had paid them back on time, but I couldn’t keep the repayment schedule.” However, he quickly changed his story, stating the injuries were actually from practicing MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).
Having previously announced his retirement from acting, Jang Dong-ju confessed, “As I mentioned, I plan to pause my acting activities for a while. Many of you have asked about the hacking incident, but that is all in the past. Currently, I have a lot of personal debt.”
He continued, “With the help of my family and acquaintances, I have paid back over 3 billion won out of approximately 4 billion won in debt. About 700 to 800 million won still remains. There is still a lot left. I plan to do my best to pay it all back, and I am working hard to repay everything, regardless of the job, so I can be proud before my creditors.”
This financial struggle was the reason behind his sudden retirement. “This decision isn’t for me, but for my creditors. Because of my debt issues, I couldn’t let my greed to keep acting potentially cause losses for the actors and staff involved in the projects I might join. I naturally want to act, but I decided to step away because I couldn’t bear the thought of causing harm to others,” he explained.
He added, “I felt that normal acting activities were impossible while feeling the pressure of debt every day. I had a next project decided and was discussing appearances in several other works, but I didn’t want to cause great losses by participating out of greed.”
He also revealed that he is being threatened by creditors. “I received a text saying they would report me for drug use if I didn’t repay the debt, so I will visit the police station tomorrow to undergo a drug investigation,” he stated.
He urged, “I’ve said I will take responsibility and repay the money, but please refrain from sending threatening texts or calls saying you will tip off reporters that I used drugs just to get the money back faster.”
Jang Dong-ju added, “My financial situation is completely tangled and difficult, and I’m trying to resolve it quickly. I want to ask my creditors that if you keep attacking me while I’m trying to repay, it only makes things harder. I fully understand your anger over the delayed payments, but please help me a little.”
However, he did not mention reports regarding allegations that police were called due to an issue with alcohol bills at an entertainment establishment just before his retirement announcement.
Previously, on the 15th, Jang Dong-ju caused a stir by posting his retirement on Instagram. “As of today, I intend to lay down my life as actor Jang Dong-ju,” he wrote. “Although I am leaving the stage, I will never forget the love you’ve shown me. Thank you sincerely for loving actor Jang Dong-ju until now.”
According to Star News, this retirement announcement was made without prior consultation with his agency, ManagementW. Regarding this, Jang Dong-ju stated, “The decision to step down as an actor was my own sole judgment. ManagementW has done their best to support me and help me make a comeback. The company is not at fault and has nothing to do with the news resulting from my personal debts.”
