According to theater company Lighthouse on July 21, Jo Byeong Kyu will appear in the play Visitation, which will run from August 5 at Hall 2 of Hansung Art Hall in Seoul’s Jongno District.
Visitation is a two-person play set entirely inside a prison visitation room. The story follows a couple who had planned to marry before one of them is unexpectedly sentenced to life in prison. Forced to meet only through prison visits, the two gradually reveal the emotions and truths they had long kept hidden. Jo Byeong Kyu will play the male lead.
His casting has attracted attention because it marks an official acting activity while his legal dispute is still ongoing.
Jo rose to prominence in 2018 through the hit drama SKY Castle. He later enjoyed a successful run with projects including Hot Stove League, The Uncanny Counter, and the variety show I Live Alone.
However, his career came to a halt in 2021 after an individual alleged online that Jo had committed school violence while studying in New Zealand.
The accuser, identified only as A, claimed that Jo physically assaulted them and forced them to pay for snacks and karaoke outings. Jo firmly denied all allegations and pursued legal action, filing a damages lawsuit seeking 4 billion won.
The trial court, however, ruled against Jo. In its first-instance decision, the court stated that the evidence submitted by the actor’s side was insufficient to prove that A’s online posts were false. As a result, the court dismissed Jo’s claim and ordered him to bear the litigation costs.
The court also commented on A’s decision to delete the posts, stating that it may have been influenced by the pressure of facing criminal complaints and a high-value civil lawsuit. The judges further noted that the possibility of psychological stress could not be ruled out, particularly after A became aware that even truthful statements may be subject to criminal defamation laws in South Korea.
Jo Byeong Kyu has appealed the ruling, and the second trial is scheduled to take place at the Seoul High Court on August 28.
Sources: Daum
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