The legal battle surrounding actor Jo Byeong-gyu and allegations of school violence is set to enter a new chapter later this summer.

According to Korean media reports, the first appellate hearing in Jo’s civil lawsuit against the individual who accused him of school violence has been scheduled for August 28 at the Seoul High Court.

The case stems from allegations that first surfaced in 2021, when an individual identified only as Mr. A publicly claimed that he had been bullied by Jo during their time studying in New Zealand. The accusations quickly gained attention online, particularly because Mr. A reportedly shared old photographs and other materials that he said supported his account.

The controversy was especially damaging because it emerged amid several previous school violence rumors that had circulated about the actor since 2018. As public scrutiny intensified, Jo’s agency at the time, strongly denied the allegations, calling them false and announcing plans for legal action.

Jo subsequently filed both a criminal complaint for defamation and a civil lawsuit seeking approximately 4 billion won (around $2.9 million at the time) in damages against Mr. A.

However, the legal proceedings did not initially go in the actor’s favor.

The criminal defamation complaint was ultimately dismissed, and Jo later lost the first civil trial. The court rejected all of his claims and ordered him to cover the litigation costs.

In its ruling, the court stated that the evidence submitted by Jo’s side was insufficient to conclusively prove that Mr. A’s allegations were false. Judges also noted that conversations presented by Jo’s team did not demonstrate that Mr. A had admitted to fabricating the claims.

Another key issue involved witness testimony.

Jo’s legal team submitted more than 20 affidavits from acquaintances and associates who supported his position. However, the court found that many of those statements came from individuals based in Korea who could not directly verify events that allegedly took place in New Zealand.

The court also questioned the reliability of testimony from individuals who had known Jo during his time abroad, reasoning that their close personal relationships with the actor could affect their objectivity.

Following the unfavorable ruling, Jo’s side immediately filed an appeal.

The upcoming appellate hearing will bring some notable changes compared with the original lawsuit. One of the most significant differences is that HB Entertainment is no longer listed among the appellants. In addition, the damages being sought have reportedly been reduced from roughly 4 billion won to approximately 900 million won.

The appeal therefore represents a narrower legal challenge than the one initially pursued after the allegations emerged.

Despite the ongoing legal dispute, Jo has gradually resumed his entertainment career.

After spending more than two years largely absent from major projects following the controversy, he returned to television in 2023 through the hit drama The Uncanny Counter 2, also known as Amazing Rumor 2.

At the time of the drama’s promotional events, Jo addressed the allegations publicly, stating that he had worked consistently to demonstrate his innocence.

“Though cautious, I did my best to prove my innocence, and I’m still doing so,” the actor said during an online press presentation.

Since then, he has continued pursuing acting projects, appearing in films including Again 1997 and Boy.

The appeal hearing on August 28 is expected to be closely watched by both supporters and critics, as it could play a significant role in determining whether Jo can legally overturn the conclusions reached in the first trial.

For now, the dispute remains unresolved, leaving one of South Korea’s most debated celebrity controversies still hanging over the actor’s career more than five years after the allegations first surfaced.