Oh Chang-ik, secretary-general of Human Rights Solidarity, reacted skeptically to reports about actor Cho Jin-woong (49; real name Cho Won-jun) having a juvenile record, saying he "can't believe it." Oh served as a member of the Ministry of Justice's Committee on Innovation for Juvenile Protection in 2020.
Oh appeared on the YouTube channel "Kim Yong-min TV" on the 10th as a "juvenile crime expert." He said, "Robbery and rape are truly heinous crimes," but added, "In reality, robbery and rape crimes do not occur frequently."
He went on, "I remember the 2024 data, and there were five robbery and rape crimes that occurred in Korea over the course of a year," adding, "It's far fewer than murders."
He continued, "A second- or third-year high school student commits robbery or rape and is sent to a juvenile reformatory? That doesn't happen," emphasizing, "In particular, 1994 was a time when juvenile offenders were punished far more strictly than in 2025."
Regarding the outlet that first reported Cho's juvenile record, he said, "It assumes you take at face value the claim that actor Cho Jin-woong was punished in his youth for robbery and rape under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes," adding, "I can't believe it."
He added, "He (Cho) himself is saying through his agency that 'there was no sex crime.' So we need to sort out the facts," and criticized, "It seems there were only secondhand accounts, not that anyone actually reviewed investigation records or the written judgment. With that, they ran an enormous report that can ruin a person's life."
Oh drew a line by saying Cho is a celebrity, not a public official, and noted, "When looking into a public official's private life or family relationships, there must be job relevance," adding, "There is no basis anywhere to probe a celebrity's private life or criminal record."
He also hinted there may be a political motive behind the controversy, saying, "Actor Cho Jin-woong is sensitive to issues related to the independence movement and democratic agendas. So there seems to have been a desire to 'teach him a lesson,' to 'fix his attitude.' It's truly outrageous."
Oh said, "If actor Cho Jin-woong really came out of a juvenile reformatory and became a successful, famous actor, that would be a model case Korea could be proud of," and when the host said, "There are also voices saying we should consider the victim's perspective," he countered, "In general terms, that's true. But I'm suspicious, aren't I? I'm not sure it was robbery and rape. You're presupposing there was a rape victim."
Oh concluded, "It must be an extremely painful situation for actor Cho Jin-woong, but I think he should return to acting," and urged, "Especially for the sake of young people, actor Cho Jin-woong should muster the courage."
Cho announced his retirement just one day after reports that he received a juvenile protection disposition for crimes committed in his teens. Even so, the controversy over Cho's juvenile record has spilled into social and political debates. Opinions clashed sharply between the view that retribution is natural when considering the victim and public sentiment, and the argument that branding someone for life is unjust given the purpose of the Juvenile Act, which emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment.