[Sportschosun Jo Min-jeong] As reports emerged that tvN's drama "Second Signal," whose release had been delayed over actor Cho Jin-woong's past controversy, is set to air in November, attention is also focusing on whether his scenes will be released as originally filmed.
On the 30th, MyDaily reported that "Second Signal" has finalized its schedule with a target premiere date of November 30 and will air as an eight-episode series.
However, tvN said in response, "The broadcast schedule has not yet been confirmed."
"Second Signal" is a follow-up to "Signal," which won widespread acclaim in 2016. Written by Kim Eun-hee and starring Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo, and Cho Jin-woong, the project was originally expected to be released this year as one of tvN's 20th anniversary highlights, but its schedule was pushed back after unexpected setbacks.
The biggest variable was the controversy surrounding Cho Jin-woong. Ahead of its planned release last year, it was belatedly revealed that he had a criminal record from his teenage years. The revelation caused a stir after it became known that, as a high school student, he had been sent to a Juvenile Detention Center following juvenile protective measures over allegations including theft, driving without a license, and involvement in a sexual assault case.
As the controversy grew, Cho's side apologized, saying, "It is true that there were wrongful actions during his teenage years." It added, "Because this happened more than 30 years ago, it is difficult to verify all the circumstances at the time, and the related legal procedures have already been concluded."
Cho later announced his intention to retire from the entertainment industry and halted his activities.
The problem was that "Second Signal" had already completed all filming before the controversy surfaced. Production wrapped in August last year, and Cho played Detective Lee Jae-han, a key character who had led the story since season 1, making simple deletion or reshoots difficult. The production team reportedly considered several options for his scenes, including the use of AI technology, editing, and reducing his screen time, but ultimately decided to release the drama without separate re-editing.
However, like the broadcast schedule, tvN has not issued a separate official statement on the matter.
Meanwhile, "Signal" is a mystery crime drama about detectives from the past and present who connect through a walkie-talkie to solve long-unsolved cases. Season 1 recorded a peak nationwide rating of 13.4%, according to Nielsen Korea, and established itself as one of tvN's signature dramas.
The broadcast date and release format are expected to be confirmed through a future official announcement from tvN.
Jo Min-jeong, mj.cho@sportschosun.com
