Actor Who Left Industry Quietly Reappears on TikTok With Startling Admission
Jang Dong Ju is facing controversy after abruptly announcing his retirement and revealing massive debt problems.
The controversy began when Jang Dong Ju posted his retirement notice on May 15, 2026, without informing his agency first. He thanked everyone who supported him but shocked fans by saying he’s stepping away from acting.
Soon after, on May 17 (KST), he went live on TikTok for two hours, opening up about his situation and explaining his decision.
During the livestream, Jang Dong Ju showed visible injuries on his face. At first, he said he got hit by a creditor.
“These are injuries from being hit by a creditor. It would have been better if I had repaid on time, but I couldn’t keep the repayment schedule.”
— Jang Dong Ju
Later, he said the wounds might actually be from MMA training.
The actor revealed he is dealing with huge debt, having already paid back ₩3.00 billion KRW (about $2.00 million USD) but still owing ₩800 million KRW (about $534,000 USD). He emphasized this debt is unrelated to a previous hacking incident fans worried about.
“As I said, I’m planning to temporarily stop my acting activities. Many people have asked about the hacking incident, but that is all in the past. Currently, I have a lot of personal debt.
With the help of my family and acquaintances, I have repaid more than ₩3.00 billion KRW (about $2.00 million USD). I still have around ₩800 million KRW (about $534,000 USD) left. There is still a lot of debt remaining.”
— Jang Dong Ju
When asked if continuing to act would help repay his debt faster, he said no. He does not want his financial troubles affecting others on set.
“I’m not sure. That may be true, but in my current situation, I shouldn’t cause harm to other actors or staff members. This decision wasn’t for myself, but for the creditors. Because I have a lot of debt issues, I couldn’t continue acting out of my own greed, join a project, and cause losses to the actors and staff involved.
Acting isn’t the only job in the world. If I ever get the chance to return someday, I’ll try. Now just isn’t the time. I think it would be better for me to focus on repaying my debt.”
— Jang Dong Ju
He also revealed creditors have threatened him with false drug use accusations to pressure repayment. He plans to undergo a police drug test to clear his name.
“I received a text saying they would report me for drugs if I didn’t repay the debt. Tomorrow, I will go to the police station and undergo a drug investigation. I said I would take responsibility for the money issue and repay it. But please refrain from sending threatening texts or calls saying you will tip off reporters that I used drugs in order to get paid faster.
Financially, everything has become extremely tangled, and I’m in a difficult situation. I’m trying to resolve it quickly. What I want to ask of the creditors is that I am trying to repay through my own efforts, but if you continue attacking me, it becomes even harder. I fully understand that you are angry because repayment has been delayed, but please help me a little.”
— Jang Dong Ju
He confirmed he won’t file for personal bankruptcy or rehabilitation, vowing to repay his debts no matter how long it takes.
“If I can’t repay it on time, I’ll accept punishment. I said I would repay it until the day I die. I could continue acting, but I don’t want to pursue my own acting ambitions to the point of causing harm to others.”
— Jang Dong Ju
The situation is ongoing, with fans and industry insiders monitoring closely as Jang Dong Ju tries to sort out his finances and step back from showbiz for now.
Sources: Xportsnews, Star News