Eight years have passed since actor Jo Min-gi, who was to be investigated over allegations of sexual harassment, died.
March 9, 2026, marks the eighth anniversary of the death of the late Jo Min-gi. He died on March 9, 2018. He was 52.
Jo Min-gi, who debuted in the 1991 film "Hymn of Death," appeared in films such as "First Love," "Shall We Kiss," and "The Attorney," and in drama "Ambition," "The Moon of Seoul," "My Love Yumi," "Star," "City Men and Women," "Mother's Flag," "Tears of a Rose," "Love," "Partner," "Romance," "Seven Brides," "Shy Lover," "Kwangkki," "School 4," "Eosa Park Mun-su," "Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin," "The Wife's Rebellion," "Iljimae," "East of Eden," "Queen Seondeok," "My Wife Has Returned," "The Great Wind," "Two Weeks," "Hwajeong," and "Moon Lovers—Scarlet Heart Ryeo."
Before he died, Jo Min-gi, who served as a professor in the Department of Theater at Cheongju University, was embroiled in a MeToo controversy alleging he had repeatedly harassed students. Jo Min-gi said, "I will not evade legal and social responsibility. I will let go of everything and spend the rest of my life reflecting on my wrongdoing and living in self-restraint," but he died before being summoned by the police for questioning.
At the scene at the time, a six-page suicide note on A4 paper was found. The note contained apologies to students and family members, and the bereaved family said they would not proceed with an autopsy.
After Jo Min-gi's death, the sexual harassment investigation was closed because there was no basis for prosecution. The students who had confessed to being victims of sexual harassment expressed their feelings, saying, "They called me a 'gold digger.' Seeing comments every day like 'MeToo killed someone,' I thought, 'Did I cause someone to die?'" and "It is unfair that the allegations remained and were dissolved publicly. We could not finish anything and could not do anything. Hearing things like 'It's over,' 'You went through a lot' felt unfair and frustrating."
After Jo Min-gi's death, his wife and first-generation makeup artist, chief director Kim Seon-jin, appeared on Coupang Play's "Just Makeup," and last year she announced her daughter's marriage. His daughter Jo Yoon-kyung became known after appearing with Jo Min-gi on SBS entertainment program "Take Care of Dad."
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