kNaru0online
Actor Jo Jin-woong's real name is Jo Won-joon. Jo Jin-woong is his father's name.
Jo Jin-woong has his birthday party on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month. However, he was born on April 6, 1976. (When converted to the lunar calendar, that day is the 7th of the 3rd month.)
There's very little information about Jo Jin-woong's high school days. Seoul, Bundang, Busan... There are no accurate records of his high school. There are reports that he transferred (forcibly) at least twice.
Jo Jin-woong changed his name and hid his birthday. He erased his high school days in Seoul and emphasized his Busan native image. What was he trying to hide?
Jo Jin-woong's teenage years were stained with crime. It wasn't just a simple misstep. He committed a serious crime during high school and was sent to a juvenile detention center after receiving juvenile protection disposition.
'Dispatch' verified Jo Jin-woong's criminal record. Informants said, "Jo Jin-woong was a leader of a gang. They stole cars together. He was also involved in sexual assault."
According to the reports, Jo Jin-woong's gang primarily targeted vehicles that were briefly stopped. They explained that they stole, drove, and abandoned at least three vehicles. Then they started dealing with stolen goods.
An informant said, "He stole a car that was parked on the side of the road with the engine running." "He drove without a license and committed all sorts of crimes. He was caught using stolen goods."
'Dispatch' dug into Jo Jin-woong's case based on continuous tips. It was confirmed that he went through criminal proceedings in his second year of high school. The charges at the time were robbery and rape under the Special Act on Criminal Punishment (as of 1994).
An informant said, "Jo Jin-woong's gang attempted sexual assault in the stolen vehicles." "Jo Jin-woong and others were sent to juvenile detention for this incident. He spent half of his third year in a correctional facility."
Jo Jin-woong entered the Department of Theater and Film at Kyungnam University in 1996. It's unclear if he repeated a year or retook the entrance exam. However, informants evaluated his return to his hometown as 'crime laundering'. They criticized it as a choice to erase his serious high school crimes.
'Dispatch' learned of another criminal act by Jo Jin-woong during its investigation. He continued to frequent police stations even after becoming an adult. This was during his time as an unknown actor.
After graduating from college, Jo Jin-woong began his theater acting career with a troupe. Around 2003, he severely beat a member of his theater troupe during a drinking session.
Jo Jin-woong received a fine for assault. An informant said, "An argument broke out at a drinking party, and he beat his fellow troupe member violently." "He had been booked for assault before, so he received a fine."
He is also known to have a DUI record. An informant said, "It was after filming the movie 'A Dirty Carnival'." "He drove while heavily intoxicated, and his license was revoked."
Jo Jin-woong debuted in 2004 with the movie 'A Dirty Carnival'. The role he played was 'Wild Horse Gang'. He abandoned his real name and started his career using his father's name, 'Jo Jin-woong'.
An informant speculated, "When he was caught for drunk driving, his face wasn't well-known yet." "Since he hadn't changed his name, the police probably didn't know he was the actor Jo Jin-woong."
Jo Jin-woong mentioned the reason for changing his stage name to his father's name on a broadcast. He said, "I was doing theater and then moved into movies. I wanted a turning point."
However, those who knew his past thought differently. They believed he changed his name to hide his criminal record. They retorted, "How could you continue under the name Jo Won-joon after committing such acts?"
Tips about Jo Jin-woong poured in after the August 15th Liberation Day event.
"I, before the proud Taegeukgi, pledge my loyalty to the eternal glory of the Republic of Korea, which is free and just."
Jo Jin-woong recited the Pledge of Allegiance at the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day ceremony. His participation as a special envoy for the repatriation of General Hong Beom-do's remains and as a narrator for 'The Independence Army: The Unfinished War' were the triggers.
However, Jo Jin-woong's 'pledge' touched the wounds of the victims.
"He was a perpetrator and a criminal who harassed weak people. But he was portrayed as righteous by playing police roles. Now he's even getting the image of an independence fighter. How must the victims feel? I hope he reflects on his past now."
Meanwhile, Jo Jin-woong has portrayed tough detectives solving violent crimes in works like 'Signal', 'The Attorney', 'Suspect X', 'Believer', 'Vanishing Time: A Diminished Return', and 'The Policeman's Lineage'.
"Dispatch dropped a bomb on Jo Jin-woong's past, and netizens are in disbelief and shock over the alleged crimes."
#MixedNo comments yet.