After leaving only “I’m sorry” and disappearing for half a year, a South Korean male celebrity says he was subjected to massive extortion—his family even sold their home to repay the debt.

(Seoul, Feb 1) South Korean actor 張東周 (Jang Dong-ju), known for his roles in 學校2017 and 犯罪心理, recently returned to screens with the new drama 今天開始是人類. However, in late October last year, he suddenly posted a black image on social media with only the words “I’m sorry,” before disappearing completely, raising widespread concern.

On January 29, Jang Dong-ju finally broke his silence, revealing that he had been living “in hell every single day” since the incident began.

He explained that last summer he received an unexpected phone call from a stranger who appeared to know his movements in detail. Soon after, the caller sent him highly private photos, message screenshots, and contact lists from his phone, making it clear that his device had been fully compromised.

Threats followed relentlessly. Despite repeatedly changing his contact information, Jang said he could not escape the situation and was forced to comply with the demands, turning his life upside down.

To prevent the exposure of private data, he fell into a cycle of borrowing money, stating that he had “no other choice” but to obey. His family eventually sold their home to help cover the damage, yet the financial burden continued to grow, resulting in losses amounting to tens of billions of Korean won.

Jang admitted that he told many lies while trying to raise money and unintentionally hurt those around him. He reflected that although he may have protected the secrets on his phone, he lost his ordinary life, meaningful relationships, and his family’s happiness in the process.

Explaining why he chose to speak out, Jang said he now has nothing left to lose. He offered heartfelt apologies to everyone affected and asked for understanding. He promised that if given trust and time, he would rebuild his life and repay every debt, no matter how difficult the journey may be.

His revelation has since sparked intense discussion online.