“Should’ve stayed quiet instead of ending up in headlines like this…”
Actor Jo Byung Gyu (also known as Cho Byeong Kyu), whose acting career has been shaken up by multiple school bullying allegations, has now been reported to have lost a ₩4.00 billion KRW (about $2.80 million USD) lawsuit that he filed against one of his accusers.
According to Herald Biz, the Seoul Central District Court ruled against the troubled actor and his former management agency, HB Entertainment, in their damages suit against Accuser A.
In 2021, Accuser A posted on social media claiming that Jo Byung Gyu bullied them while the two were attending school together in New Zealand. Accuser A’s allegation was the fourth school violence allegation made against the actor, following three previous claims dating back to 2018. (Note that, of the three previous bullying claims, two posters voluntarily deleted their posts, while one admitted to posting false information.)
As of November 1, 2025 (KST), however, Herald Biz confirmed that the court has now issued a legal judgment in the case of Jo Byung Gyu vs. Accuser A: The actor’s civil suit for damages against Accuser A has been decided in favor of the accuser. The actor had also filed a criminal defamation suit against Accuser A, but it was dropped by the prosecutors.
Jo Byung Gyu asked for ₩4.06 billion KRW (about $2.85 million USD) from Accuser A in compensation for the post that “had led to the damage in his reputation, leading to termination of ad contracts and cancellations of K-Dramas, K-Movies, and other TV program appearances.” The actor also sought an additional ₩200 million KRW (about $140,000 USD)for emotional distress.
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Accuser A, who resides in New Zealand, did not respond to the suit or submit a rebuttal. Therefore, the civil trial proceeded through a public notification service, where court documents are posted publicly. And after reviewing only Jo Byung Gyu’s side of the evidence, the court still ruled against him stating that “It is difficult to conclude that A’s post was false.”
The court also denied Jo Byung Gyu’s claim that the deletion of the post itself was proof of falsity. The court stated:
It appears A deleted the post out of fear after hearing from Jo’s legal representative about potential criminal charges and massive damages claims. It is also possible he became even more afraid upon learning that, in Korea, even true statements can lead to defamation charges.
— Presiding Judge Lee Sang Won
Regarding Jo Byung Gyu’s submission of statements from over 20 witnesses denying the bullying allegations, the court found them “unreliable,” noting, “All statements were from people who have personal ties to Jo in Korea, and therefore, they do not verify events that allegedly occurred in New Zealand.”
Ultimately, the court concluded, “Even considering the inherent difficulty of proving that something did not occur, the evidence submitted is insufficient to establish that the events described in the post never happened.”
The news has since drawn massive criticism online—most slamming the actor for the sheer amount of money that he was suing for.
- “$3 million?!”
- “He was suing for $3 million? That’s literally bullying his victim all over again.”
- “Is he out of his mind?”
- “A $3 million lawsuit? That’s downright malicious. I’m boycotting anyone who still hires this guy.”
- “$3 million? Crazy.”
- “Pressing for $3 million sounds like intimidation.”
- “It says ‘after reviewing only Jo Byung Gyu’s side of the evidence, the court still ruled against him.’ LMAO.”
- “The court basically recognized him as a school bully now. Damn.”
- “Retire already.”
- “Wow… His accuser didn’t even respond to the lawsuit, and yet he still lost.”
- “Money can’t fix everything. Should’ve stayed quiet instead of ending up in headlines like this.”
The decision is not yet final, as Jo Byung Gyu has appealed, arguing that the lower court “misinterpreted the law.” The appeal will be heard by the Seoul High Court at a later date.
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