Actor Jo Byung Gyu To Take Break From Acting And Prepare For Military Enlistment
Actor Jo Byung Gyu, amid an ongoing legal battle over school violence allegations, is set to pause his activities and prepare for military enlistment.
On September 6th, a video titled “I’m Going to the Military Soon.. Jo Byung Gyu, Met in Daehangno, Stories You Didn’t Know” was uploaded to the YouTube channel “One Mic.” Jo Byung Gyu, currently starring in the play “Visitation,” shared his recent activities and future plans through the video.
Jo Byung Gyu said, “After the play ‘Visitation’ ends, I’ll be doing a musical called ‘Opera.’ After that, I’m going to stop my acting activities for this year and prepare to enlist in the military.”
He also opened up about a past attempt to apply for KATUSA. Jo Byung Gyu revealed, “About two years ago, I applied for KATUSA once. I passed the English test but didn’t get to go because I was eliminated in the lottery draw.”
Regarding not making it into KATUSA, he said, “I’m thinking about it in a positive way, since if I had gone at the time, I might not have been able to do the play ‘Visitation’ that I’m doing now.” He also shared his current thoughts on enlistment, saying, “Right now I’m just thinking I’ll probably go with the Army.”
Jo Byung Gyu debuted in 2015 with the drama “Who Are You: School 2015” and made a name for himself through appearances in “SKY Castle,” “Strong Girl Bong-soon,” and “The Uncanny Counter.” In particular, he gained public recognition for playing Cha Ki Joon in “SKY Castle,” and starred as the lead, Mun, in “The Uncanny Counter,” establishing himself as a leading actor.
Since then, he has continued his activities not only in dramas and film but also on stage. His current play, “Visitation,” marks his return to theater for the first time in about two years, since 2024’s “Island.” He is also taking on the musical stage for the first time through “Opera.”
Jo Byung Gyu has also parted ways with his agency. Last September, HB Entertainment officially announced that his exclusive contract had ended. He has since continued his activities without an agency.
Jo Byung Gyu was embroiled in school violence allegations in 2021. At the time, a person referred to as “Mr. A,” who claimed to have been bullied by Jo Byung Gyu during his time studying in New Zealand, came forward with the allegations, which Jo Byung Gyu’s side denied while pursuing legal action.
Jo Byung Gyu’s side subsequently filed a roughly 4-billion-won damages lawsuit against Mr. A, but lost the first trial in September 2025. He appealed, and the first hearing of the appellate trial was held at the Seoul High Court on August 28th. In the appeal, the claimed damages were reduced to around 900 million won, and his former agency HB Entertainment was excluded from the appeal.
Source: (A)
