Why Did Actor Jang Dong-joo Suddenly Retire? The Shocking Truth Behind His Career Shift

[MyDaily = Reporter Han So-hee] Actor Jang Dong-ju abruptly announced his retirement from the entertainment industry and has significantly revised his profile on major portal sites, drawing widespread attention.

As of the 18th, Jang’s profile on portal sites no longer lists him as an “actor” and instead identifies him as an “entrepreneur.” The profile also adds “Woosun Group (CEO)” alongside his former agency information. His profile photo and biography have been removed. Officials confirmed the changes were made that day with his participation.

On the 15th, Jang posted on his social media account: “Today I will step down from life as actor Jang Dong-ju,” announcing his sudden retirement.

His agency, Management W, immediately pushed back. In an official statement, the agency said the retirement announcement “was carried out unilaterally by the actor without prior discussion or agreement,” and that the company only became aware of the announcement after it went public.

The agency sharply criticized the move as “an extremely irresponsible action that betrays the responsibilities and trust owed by a contracted actor,” saying that “the actor bears full responsibility for the confusion and damage caused by this incident.”

Management W added that trust with Jang is now effectively irreparable and said it is reviewing all matters, including whether to maintain his exclusive contract.

Jang has since deleted all posts from his personal social media accounts.

In a subsequent livestream, Jang told viewers he had repaid roughly 3 billion KRW (approximately 2.25 million USD) but still owes about 800 million KRW (approximately 600,000 USD). He warned that failure to repay on time could lead to legal consequences.

He said he could continue acting but did not want to pursue roles if doing so would harm people around him, and that was a primary reason for his decision to retire.

Jang also said he plans to focus on film production and screenwriting. In a post seeking investors, he said he was looking for production backers and co-producers and even shared an investment account number publicly, a move that prompted controversy.

Management W said those efforts, too, were made without consulting the agency and have harmed several partners and collaborators. The company says it is working to manage the fallout.

Jang has been at the center of repeated controversies in recent months. In November, he left a single-word apology, “I’m sorry,” on social media and became unreachable, prompting his agency to search for him; contact was reestablished about four hours later and the incident was closed.

He subsequently left his agency, terminated the contract, and in February signed a new exclusive contract with Management W to resume activities.

In January he said he had suffered hacking and extortion that resulted in losses in the tens of billions of won. More recently, allegations surfaced that police were called to a nightlife venue over a dispute about a bar tab; that claim has not been verified.

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