Top K-Drama Actor Announces Retirement From Industry At 31

Actor Jang Dong Joo has officially announced his retirement from the entertainment industry.

On May 15, the actor shared a lengthy message through social media revealing that he would stop all acting activities and return to living an ordinary life.

“Starting today, I am trying to put down my life as actor Jang Dong Joo. Although I am leaving the stage, I will never forget the hearts you all gave me for the rest of my life. Thank you sincerely for loving actor Jang Dong Joo until now. Every moment I laughed and cried in front of the camera was the brightest time in my life. Thanks to all of you, I was able to walk happily until the end.”

Many believe his sudden retirement was heavily influenced by personal hardships that surfaced recently. Although Jang Dong Joo did not explicitly state the exact reason for retiring, fans speculated it was connected to the phone hacking and massive debt issues he previously confessed to. Earlier this year, the actor revealed he had gone through a “living hell” after hackers gained complete access to his phone following a suspicious call last summer. According to Jang Dong Joo, the hackers threatened him using private photos and conversations, leading him into severe financial trouble.

Jang Dong Joo lamented that his life collapsed instantly because of the hackers’ unreasonable demands.

“I borrowed money by any means necessary, and my family even sold their house for me. Urgent debts created even more debts, and I lost tens of billions of won and ended up buried in debt.”

Jang Dong Joo explained that his efforts to protect the secret led to more lies, which ultimately resulted in secondary damage to people around him.

“When I came to my senses, many people had been hurt because of me. No matter how much I tried to escape, it felt like I had fallen into a swamp I couldn’t get out of.”

Fans had already expressed concern last year after Jang Dong Joo suddenly uploaded a black screen with the message “I’m sorry” before disappearing from social media temporarily. Although he later resurfaced and signed with a new agency, the contract reportedly ended only a month later.

Now, after officially announcing retirement, Jang Dong Joo has deleted nearly all traces from his SNS accounts except for the retirement statement.

Jang Dong Joo originally debuted in 2012 through the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream and appeared in dramas such as School 2017, Mr. Temporary, and Let Me Be Your Knight, alongside films including Honest Candidate and Handsome Guys.