Movie Director Exposes Horrifying Details of Random Violent Assault by Jo Jin Woong

Documentary filmmaker Heo Chul revealed his shocking encounter with now-retired actor Jo Jin Woong, claiming that he was once assaulted by Jo.

On December 7, 2025 (KST), the director took to his Facebook and shared a lengthy post about one horrifying day in 2014.

For the first time in my adulthood, since some fistfight with a friend back in middle school, I was assaulted. One day in 2014, someone punched me in the face. In fact, I remember being hit a lot in a very short span of time, unable to fight back because people around us immediately started restraining me. And this didn’t even happen late at night. It happened inside a car while we were on the move after completing a ritual to pray for the success of one director’s film.

— Heo Chul

The director identified Jo Jin Woong as the perpetrator, noting that this was the first time they had ever met—meaning the actor attacked him essentially as a stranger.

The person who hit me was actor Jo Jin Woong. He was sitting next to me, and without any reason, he suddenly struck me. When people tried to stop him, he suddenly started crying. I was stunned. What the?! What kind of absurd situation is this? It was my first time meeting this actor, and I couldn’t understand any of it.

— Heo Chul

Maeil Shinmun added that there was another actor who was assaulted by Jo Jin Woong—a rookie in his 20s at the time, who had just made his debut as a lead in a K-Drama in 2014.

But Jo Jin Woong never apologized for the “absurd situation” that took place, according to the director. Instead, the director recalled, Jo Jin Woong said he “didn’t remember” the attack.

I requested a formal apology through his manager. But he never apologized. Only his manager, who had done nothing wrong, knelt in front of me, completely lost on what to do. I later heard that the same night, he had poured ice on another young actor (who is now very famous) and hit him as well. All that happened while I was waiting at the restaurant next door for him to come and apologize to me.

Even after several days, he still didn’t apologize. He said he didn’t remember. After that, whenever I saw his face on screen, I would turn it off. The memory of that moment kept coming back, and anger would surge. It became a trauma. But… even when I vented about it to other filmmakers, they all just laughed awkwardly and said, ‘Why would he do that?’ So I just buried it and went on living. But then…

— Heo Chul

In an unexpected twist, though, Heo Chul concluded his post with forgiveness, urging Jo Jin Woong to reconsider retirement and return to acting.

Actor Jo Jin Woong Retires Following Revelations Of Past Gangster Ties

Today, I saw news about him and learned about his past history. And strangely, a different feeling rose inside me. For the first time, I thought, ‘So that’s what happened…’ and I thought of forgiveness. I realized my anger wasn’t toward this actor. It was toward society, toward the looks and finger-pointing that push someone into retirement.

All this time, I was only focused on being angry at the violent incident that happened without context. It’s embarrassing. Why didn’t I wonder why he behaved that way? Why didn’t I try to understand? Aren’t I just like those countless people pointing fingers? My anger toward them is really disappointment in myself.

I truly hope he can continue his acting career. If we meet again someday, I hope we can have a shot of soju together. Just let me slap you once, and then let’s move on like nothing happened. F*ck…

— Heo Chul

Of course, Korean netizens saw right through the sarcasm, recognizing the post for what it really was: another exposé of how Jo Jin Woong hasn’t changed over the decades.

• “At first I was like, ‘Wait, why do we come to that conclusion?’ But then I got it, he’s being sarcastic LOL.”
• “He’s totally roasting Jo Jin Woong LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.”
• “LOL 100% sarcasm, right?”
• “I’m so confused… What exactly is he trying to say? LOL.”
• “He was like, ‘Was it me? Did I do something wrong?’ and then the article came out and now he finally understands… Like, ‘Ah, so that’s how he is~ people don’t change, got it.'”
• “What even is this post?”
• “You can totally tell he’s roasting Jo LOL.”
• “This is obviously an additional exposé, haha.”
• “Looks like a repeated pattern. He did that in ’94 and again in ’14.”
• “Even though he says he forgives the actor, the post shows Jo Jin Woong is the kind of person who still uses violence after becoming an actor.”

Meanwhile, the actor has seen a wave of people actually defending and rooting for him.

Read more about it here:

Professor Defends And Praises Jo Jin Woong Amid His Robbery And Rape Controversy