Actor Joo Jin-mo to Hold First Fan Meeting in Japan After Five-Year Hiatus

After a five-year break from the spotlight due to personal controversies, actor Joo Jin-mo (주진모) is set to make a comeback by hosting his first fan meeting in Japan in a decade. His wife, Min Hye-yeon (민혜연), shared photos of Joo's new profile and the fan meeting poster on January 17, expressing her affection and excitement for the event. She noted, "The profile pictures look beautiful, and he is gradually preparing for the fan meeting," adding that she is posting on his behalf since neither he nor his agency uses social media.

Joo's last public appearance was in January 2022 on TV CHOSUN's 'Chef Heo Young-man's Dining Tour' (식객 허영만의 백반기행), marking his return to television after five years since the drama 'Big Issue' (빅이슈) in 2019. In a previous interview with OSEN, he mentioned needing time to recover both physically and mentally, reflecting on his life during the pandemic, which delayed his return.

Joo Jin-mo married Min Hye-yeon, a family medicine specialist from Seoul National University, in 2019. However, their life took a tumultuous turn in January 2020 when Joo became embroiled in a phone hacking and blackmail scandal, leading to the leak of private conversations and images. The leaked content ranged from mundane chats to explicit exchanges, which included mentions of fellow celebrities. His agency confirmed that Joo's phone had been hacked and that he was being extorted for money, prompting a strong legal response.

Three months after the hacking incident, two members of the criminal group were apprehended. They had hacked multiple victims' phones, including Joo's, and extorted money from five celebrities, totaling around 600 million KRW. Fortunately, Joo reported the threats to the police immediately and did not suffer financial loss.

The perpetrators, a family of Chinese-Korean nationals, were sentenced for their crimes. Despite being legally recognized as a victim, Joo faced significant public backlash due to the explicit nature of the leaked conversations, which kept him out of the public eye for an extended period.

While Min Hye-yeon continued to appear on various entertainment programs, Joo remained largely absent from the industry, supporting her behind the scenes. As he prepares for his fan meeting in Japan, many are curious if this will lead to a more permanent return to the Korean entertainment scene.