“School Bully Accusations” K-Drama Actor Suddenly Announces Halt In Acting Activities

Actor Jo Byung Gyu (also known as Cho Byeong Gyu) has revealed that he will temporarily step away from acting as he prepares to enlist in the military, with the announcement coming as his years-long legal battle over school bullying allegations continues.

On September 6, Jo appeared in a video uploaded to the YouTube channel One Mic, where he discussed his current theater work and what he has planned for the remainder of 2026.

The actor is currently appearing in the play Visitation and revealed that he has one more project lined up before putting his acting career on hold.

“After the play Visitation ends, I’m doing a musical called Opera. That will be my last [project], and I’ll stop my acting activities for this year and prepare for my military enlistment.”

Jo also revealed that this is not his first attempt at enlisting. Around two years ago, he applied to join KATUSA, the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army. According to the actor, he passed the required English-language test but ultimately failed to secure a spot through the lottery.

“I applied for KATUSA once about two years ago. I passed the English test, but I didn’t get selected in the lottery, so I couldn’t go.”

The announcement has also attracted attention because of the unresolved controversy that has followed Jo since 2021. That year, an individual identified as “A” publicly alleged that they had been a victim of school bullying involving Jo while the actor was studying in New Zealand. Jo and his representatives denied the allegations and pursued legal action.

The dispute eventually resulted in Jo’s side filing a civil lawsuit seeking approximately ₩4.00 billion KRW (about $2.98 million USD) in damages from the accuser.

However, Jo lost the first trial in September 2025. Jo has also since parted ways with HB Entertainment. The company announced in September 2025 that its exclusive contract with the actor had ended, and he has continued his activities without a separate agency.

For now, Jo has not announced an exact enlistment date. He plans to complete his remaining stage commitments before suspending his acting activities and preparing to serve.