Jo Se Ho has stepped down from two of his biggest television programs after a wave of online allegations linked him to an organized crime figure. On Tuesday, his agency A2Z Entertainment confirmed that he will be concluding his time on tvN’s You Quiz on the Block and KBS2’s 2 Days & 1 Night.
The agency stated that the choice was made “after consulting with the program’s production team.” They said Jo Se Ho (also spelt Cho Sae Ho) felt a “deep sense of responsibility for the recent misunderstandings and rumors” and did not want to “burden” viewers or the production teams.
His exit marks the end of a seven-year run on You Quiz on the Block, where he has co-hosted alongside Yoo Jae Suk since the show first aired in August 2018. He will also no longer appear on 2 Days & 1 Night, where he became a fixed member in 2024, aside from episodes already filmed.
The controversy began in late November when an anonymous Instagram account posted allegations claiming Jo Se Ho had close ties to a man known as “Mr. Choi.” He is described as a major figure in a regional organized crime group. The posts claimed their relationship went back almost a decade and was stronger than a casual connection.
The accuser also said Jo Se Ho promoted a restaurant franchise “effectively owned” by Mr. Choi and accepted expensive gifts from him. The account even threatened to release a photo “showing Jo Se Ho, his wife, and Mr. Choi together before their marriage” if the denials continued.
A2Z Entertainment has strongly denied all the claims, saying Jo has “absolutely no connection” to Mr. Choi’s business and that the supposed gifts are “categorically false.” They described Mr. Choi as “merely an acquaintance” the comedian and broadcaster met through events.
The agency also announced plans for legal action for defamation and spreading false information, saying the allegations had caused “obstruction of business.”
Jo Se Ho also posted a personal statement on December 9. In his apology, he wrote that he had met many people at events over the years and admitted he was “young and inexperienced” and didn’t “handle all those connections in a mature way.” He said the suspicions were “completely untrue,” but apologized for disappointing people by appearing in the photos that circulated.
Public backlash intensified quickly. Viewers flooded the You Quiz on the Block social media pages with demands for his removal. Old criticisms resurfaced, including a past incident where Jo Se Ho attended a “breast cancer drinking party” before interviewing a breast cancer patient on-air. Critics began questioning his sincerity, and the pressure grew too strong for his shows to ignore.
For many, this turn of events is shocking because Se Ho has been a familiar face in South Korean entertainment for more than two decades. He debuted in 2001 after winning the SBS Gag Contest and first performed under the stage name “Cabbage.”
After years of steady work, he enjoyed a peak in the mid-2010s and became even more prominent after joining You Quiz on the Block. He married his longtime non-celebrity girlfriend in a high-profile wedding at the Shilla Hotel in October 2024 and had been active on several programs this year, including Screwballs, Good Day, and Date My Friend.
The situation now puts his career on pause. His agency insists the allegations are false and promises he will “return once all doubts have been cleared.” As of now, public sentiment remains divided, and rebuilding trust will take time.
