[Sportschosun Park A-ram] Actor Jang Dong-ju said he has fully repaid the principal of private loans worth more than 300 million won.
According to Hankook Ilbo on the 3rd, Jang said during a phone call that day, "I have repaid the full 320 million won principal of the private loan today," and added, "I am grateful to everyone who waited and showed consideration for me."
Earlier, Jang shocked many when he revealed in January that he had fallen victim to a mobile phone hacking incident and was left with massive debts amounting to billions of won. In May, he also abruptly announced his retirement from acting without consulting his agency. At the time, he said he was under relentless debt pressure even after repaying more than 3 billion won of his roughly 4 billion won total debt with help from family and acquaintances.
He explained that the delay in repaying his personal debts was because he had focused on clearing the high-interest private loans first, which pushed back repayment of his personal and financial institution debts. He then bowed his head and said, "I am truly sorry to those who lent me money personally," adding, "Now that I have finished settling the private loans, I will devote myself to repaying my personal debts and bank debts."
Meanwhile, he had also caused controversy over a self-harm incident amid the debt dispute, and is now seeking a comeback after signing an exclusive contract with Universe Label and reinventing himself as a live creator.
Jang also cautiously addressed the possibility of returning to acting in the future. He said, "Right now, my top priority is to cleanly repay all remaining debts and fulfill my responsibilities," adding, "After I have repaid everything, I would like to return as an actor if given the chance."
tokkig@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
