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By Jin Hyun-woo, Dailian — After a media outlet reported allegations that actor Cho Jin-woong had received juvenile protective dispositions for crimes including sexual assault and theft during his high school years, Cho announced his retirement from the entertainment industry. The controversy over the disclosure of juvenile protective dispositions has since intensified, with various opinions emerging within the legal community.

Some argue that forcing a person to carry the burden of mistakes made in childhood for the rest of their life runs counter to the purpose of the Juvenile Act, which is aimed at rehabilitation, and is therefore inappropriate. However, within the legal community, there is also growing support for the view that in the case of celebrities who have built their careers on public trust, serious crimes committed in the past may be subject to disclosure.

According to the legal community on the 9th, Attorney Kim Kyung-ho of Hoin Law Office additionally filed criminal complaints against two reporters from the media outlet that first reported the controversy involving Cho, on charges of defamation by false information under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. Kim had previously filed complaints against the same reporters on the 7th for alleged violation of Article 70 of the Juvenile Act.

(Omitted)

Attorney Chon Hyeong Hwan of Mega-X Law Office, a former police officer, said, “In fact, the crimes Cho allegedly committed in the past are among the most serious juvenile crime cases I have ever seen or heard of.”

He pointed out, “In the case of a complete public figure, such as a famous person or entertainer, the person receives relatively less protection in terms of defamatory matters compared with ordinary citizens.”

He continued, “Article 307(1) of the Criminal Act, which deals with defamation by publicly alleging facts, provides that punishment shall not be imposed if the alleged facts are true and concern only the public interest.”

Attorney Chon added, “Although there may be some unlawful elements in disclosing a past protective disposition, it should be viewed as having sufficient public-interest value for the press to report on it.”

(Rest omitted)

Source: Dailian, Reporter Jin Hyun-woo, “Controversy Over Disclosure of Actor Cho Jin-woong’s Juvenile Record… ‘Reporting for Public Interest’ vs. ‘Contrary to the Purpose of the Juvenile Act’ [Ask the Legal Community 688],” December 10, 2025.
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