Jang Dong Ju's agency releases official statement on his abrupt retirement - report

Jang Dong Ju’s talent agency, Management W, has released an official statement addressing the South Korean actor’s sudden retirement.

In the statement reported by Soompi, Management W said Jang Dong Ju’s retirement was his sole decision and had not been discussed with the agency beforehand.

“The announcement of actor Jang Dong Ju’s retirement, which has recently circulated through media and social media, was a matter decided unilaterally by the actor himself without any prior discussion or consultation with our agency,” the statement read.

“Our agency did not receive any prior notice regarding this matter and only became aware of the situation after the announcement was made,” it added.

Calling the actor's action “highly irresponsible behavior” from someone still under contract, the agency said, “the resulting confusion and damages lies entirely with the actor himself.”

Management W also said it is currently resolving situations “with the relevant parties and partners” affected by Jang Dong Ju’s abrupt retirement decision.

“We once again deeply apologize to fans and all related parties for the concern caused,” the statement ended.

Last week, Jang Dong Ju announced his retirement from acting in a now-deleted post on Instagram.

Soon after, he appeared on a live TikTok broadcast, confessing that he is currently in debt of around 700 million to 800 million won after settling more than 3 billion won with the help of people around him.

Jang Dong Ju is known for his characters in K-drama series “Trigger,” “Let Me Be Your Knight,” and “School 2017.”