Jo Byung-gyu Loses First Lawsuit Over School Violence Allegations; Court Rules Claims Not 'Easily Determinable as False'

Actor Jo Byung-gyu has lost the first round of his lawsuit concerning school violence allegations.

According to a report by Herald Economy on the 1st, Jo Byung-gyu filed a lawsuit seeking 4.06 billion KRW in damages against an individual identified as 'A,' who had posted allegations of school violence. However, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 37 dismissed all of Jo Byung-gyu's claims and ordered him to bear the full cost of the lawsuit.

Back in February 2021, 'A' posted on social media, claiming to have been a victim of Jo Byung-gyu's school violence during his study abroad period in New Zealand. 'A' alleged that Jo Byung-gyu had made him run errands for snacks, pay for karaoke expenses, and physically assaulted him with his feet, umbrellas, and microphones.

At the time, Jo Byung-gyu's agency vehemently denied the allegations, stating they were 'groundless' and vowing legal action without leniency. Subsequently, 'A' expressed his frustration, even offering to stake 10 billion KRW for verification, though this was later retracted. Furthermore, out of the three other school violence allegations against Jo Byung-gyu besides 'A's,' two were voluntarily deleted by their authors, and one was resolved after the author admitted to fabricating the claims.

Following this, Jo Byung-gyu filed a defamation lawsuit against 'A.' However, the police did not send the case for indictment, citing that 'A' was in New Zealand, making contact and fact-verification difficult.

Consequently, Jo Byung-gyu initiated the civil lawsuit against 'A' for approximately 4 billion KRW.

However, 'A' did not submit any documents to the court due to being in New Zealand. The court, reviewing only the evidence provided by Jo Byung-gyu's side, ruled that it was "difficult to definitively conclude that the posts made by 'A' were false." The court also noted that while Jo Byung-gyu's acquaintance had communicated with 'A' over six months regarding the incident, no messages were submitted as evidence where 'A' admitted to posting false information to the acquaintance.

Furthermore, the court speculated about 'A's potential fear regarding the substantial legal costs and the accusation of defamation by stating facts. It also did not accept the testimonies from acquaintances who claimed a significant friendship with Jo Byung-gyu during their study abroad period in New Zealand.

Jo Byung-gyu's side has since filed an immediate appeal, and the second trial will be held at the Seoul High Court.

Jo Byung-gyu, who debuted in 2015, received acclaim for his roles in JTBC dramas like 'SKY Castle' and 'The Uncanny Counter,' but his career has been impacted by the school violence controversy. He is scheduled to return to acting in the new comedy film 'Find Hidden Money' later this year.

Netizens expressed disappointment over the first trial's outcome, with comments like 'Hoping for the truth to be revealed in the second trial' and 'Wishing him a smooth comeback without further setbacks.'