Broadcaster Kim Ou-joon said, "Are we a society where a Jean Valjean cannot be born?" as he stepped up to defend actor Jo Jin-woong. That contrasts with the spread of so-called revelations alleging Jo Jin-woong's assaults, saying "being a juvenile offender is not the end" and "I was hit, too."
According to the broadcast industry on the 9th, Kim Ou-joon said on YouTube's "Kim Ou-joon's Humility Is Difficult News Factory" that day, "Is the story of a juvenile offender growing into an excellent actor and a mature member of society something our society cannot accept?"
He continued, "I suspect fixers moved against Jo Jin-woong because of various activities he did during the Moon Jae-in administration," adding, "I don't know if it is right to socially imprison someone again the moment it becomes known that they are a Jean Valjean."
Earlier, attorney Kim Kyung-ho of law firm Hoin filed a complaint applying a violation of Article 70 of the Juvenile Act to two reporters from Dispatch, saying "Jo Jin-woong lived a rehabilitated life," comparing him to Jean Valjean, who, after prison, became the mayor of Madeleine and saved the poor.
Kim Ou-joon likewise likened Jo Jin-woong to Jean Valjean, saying, "I agree that 'it cannot be allowed until the victim accepts it' is very persuasive and an important principle," but added, "I doubt whether it is applied fairly in our society."
Jo Jin-woong earlier became embroiled in controversy over a past record of receiving juvenile protective disposition for a serious crime in high school. Criticism grew as it additionally emerged that he had prior records of assault and drunken driving. Jo Jin-woong later declared retirement, saying, "I apologize."
Defending Jo Jin-woong, Kim Ou-joon also cited "judicial murder," in which a wrongful ruling leads to a person's death. He said, "Even when judges make wrong decisions by reading the power's mood or the trend of the times, they often become high-ranking judges (without issue)."
He went on to ask, "Why doesn't victim-centeredness apply to judges?" and argued, "It's not that I think victim-centeredness is unimportant, but it seems celebrities are easy targets, so it is applied more harshly."
In Aug., Jo Jin-woong appeared on "Kim Ou-joon's Humility Is Difficult News Factory" and discussed the Dec. 3 martial law with Kim Ou-joon. At the time, Jo Jin-woong said, "(Regarding the former President Yoon's martial law) the due price must of course be paid."
Citing the Juvenile Act's principle of non-disclosure of juvenile cases, Kim Ou-joon appears to have belatedly joined opinions spreading among Jo Jin-woong's colleagues in the film industry and some in legal circles that "it is wrong to raise past wrongdoing as an issue now."
However, claims have also been raised that Jo Jin-woong committed assaults even after he began his acting career. Documentary film director Heo Cheol wrote on his social media (SNS) on the 7th, "There is someone who punched me in the face in 2014," revealing, "Actor Jo Jin-woong."
An actor identified as A also recently exposed Jo Jin-woong's assault to entertainment outlets. A said, "Senior Jo Jin-woong slapped a junior male actor a few years ago, and I witnessed him making him do punishment drills."
A domestic online outlet recently reported that even after Jo Jin-woong became actively engaged as a lead actor, he had a prior record of assaulting a mid-career colleague identified as B on a film set where they were appearing together at the time.