'Cho Jin-woong Controversy': The Second Signal Rumored to Air in December; tvN Says 'Nothing Has Been Confirmed'

[Financial News] The tvN drama The Second Signal, whose airing was postponed amid controversy over actor Cho Jin-woong's past as a juvenile offender, is reportedly set to premiere this December. However, tvN said its scheduling has not been finalized.
According to MyDaily on the 25th, The Second Signal is reportedly scheduled to begin airing on December 7 as a Monday-Tuesday drama. The premiere has been pushed back by a week from its original planned date of November 30. It was reported that episodes 1 and 2 would air back-to-back on December 7, followed by one episode a day from the 8th onward.
tvN, however, pushed back against reports about this schedule, saying, "Nothing has been confirmed."
The promotional approach ahead of the broadcast is also reportedly under discussion. According to industry sources, one option under consideration was to release the series without any separate promotional activities, but more recently, they have also discussed pre-recording a press conference attended by the cast except for Cho Jin-woong.
The Second Signal is a sequel to the 2016 tvN drama Signal. It was planned for release in June this year to mark the 20th anniversary of tvN's launch, but its scheduling was postponed indefinitely after the past juvenile-offender record of cast member Cho Jin-woong became known.
When the controversy erupted, Cho Jin-woong admitted, "I engaged in wrongful behavior when I was a minor." He then announced his intention to retire from the entertainment industry, saying, "I will accept all criticism."
Regarding his decision to retire, Cho Jin-woong said, "I believe this is the proper responsibility and duty I must bear for my past mistakes," and, "Going forward, I will reflect to the best of my ability so that I can stand upright on my own as a person."
Filming for the series was completed last August. The production team considered editing out Cho Jin-woong's scenes or replacing them with AI technology, among other options, but reportedly faces difficulties making changes because his role in the story is substantial.
The preceding series, Signal, is a mystery crime drama about detectives in the present and the past, connected by radio transmissions from the past, as they solve long-unsolved cases. The sequel also stars Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo and Cho Jin-woong. Kim Eun-hee wrote the screenplay, and Ahn Tae-jin directed.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter