What Happens to "The Second Signal"?

After actor Cho Jin-woong admitted to part of his past criminal offenses and announced his retirement, the share prices of companies related to "The Second Signal", in which he plays the lead role, have weakened. The decline reflects concerns that the highly anticipated drama, already deep into production for release next year, may face disruptions in broadcasting and performance, potentially affecting the companies' earnings.

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As of 3 PM on the 8th in the KOSPI market, CJ ENM was trading at 60,700 won, down 2.57%. The intraday low of 60,300 won marked the lowest level since June. CJ ENM had previously announced through its subsidiary channel tvN that "The Second Signal" would be aired.

Another affiliate, ContentreeJoongAng, was trading at 9,400 won, down 2.08%. ContentreeJoongAng's grandchild company BA Entertainment, is responsible for producing "The Second Signal". Studio Dragon, the drama's planning studio, was also down 1.29%, trading at 38,350 won.

"The Second Signal" is considered tvN's biggest drama release for the second quarter of next year. Filming was completed in August, and post-production is currently underway. The drama reunites writer Kim Eun-hee-I with the original main cast of "Sgnal", including Kim Hye-soo, Cho Jin-woong, and Lee Je-hoon, who have all confirmed their participation.

However, uncertainty over the drama's broadcast grew after Cho Jin-woong announced his retirement following reports that he had been sent to a juvenile detention center for robbery and sexual assault charges during his youth, and had later been penalized as an adult for drunk driving and assault. CJ ENM has not yet announced a final broadcast decision, but even if the series airs as planned, experts expect disruptions in promotional activities and editing.