Comedian Jo Se-ho has been embroiled in rumors of ties with organized crime groups. On December 4, Jo Se-ho's agency, A2Z Entertainment, clarified that these claims are "baseless." The agency stated that Jo Se-ho and Mr. A are merely acquaintances.

The suspicions about Jo Se-ho began on social media. A netizen claimed that Jo Se-ho has a close relationship with Mr. A, a key figure in a regional organized crime group, and received expensive gifts from him. The netizen also alleged that Jo Se-ho promoted a franchise operated by a member of the organized crime group and has ties with the mastermind behind illegal money laundering.

Jo Se-ho debuted in 2001 as part of SBS's 6th public recruitment of comedians and has continued his career appearing in various programs. Currently, he is appearing on tvN's "You Quiz on the Block" and KBS2's "2 Days & 1 Night Season 4."

On December 5, A2Z Entertainment issued an official statement. The agency said, "We are announcing our official position regarding the reports dated December 4 and subsequent coverage related to Jo Se-ho." They continued, "Mr. A, known as the source of these reports, mentioned his acquaintance with Jo Se-ho on his SNS account and raised suspicions that Jo Se-ho is directly or indirectly involved in Mr. A's activities. However, this is merely Mr. A's personal speculation, and we clearly state that it is not true."

The agency also emphasized regarding the allegations of Jo Se-ho receiving money or gifts from Mr. A, "This too is nothing more than Mr. A's personal speculation and is unrelated to the facts."

Furthermore, A2Z Entertainment announced that they are actively considering legal action, both criminal and civil, against Mr. A for criminal acts such as defamation by false facts and obstruction of business. The agency added, "To ensure that our artist's activities are not hindered by the indiscriminate spread of false claims, we will strictly respond with legal action based on a zero-tolerance policy against baseless slander, malicious posts, and the reckless dissemination of false information and rumors."

Recently, Mr. A claimed on SNS that Jo Se-ho has ties with Mr. B, a member of an organized crime group, and is involved in Mr. B's illegal money laundering. He asserted that he received expensive gifts from Mr. B and released several photos showing Jo Se-ho and Mr. B together.

In response, Jo Se-ho's agency, A2Z Entertainment, reiterated, "The allegations raised on the mentioned account are merely Mr. A's personal speculation and are clearly untrue," and warned of legal action.

The official statement from Jo Se-ho's agency is as follows: "Hello, this is A2Z Entertainment. We are announcing our official position regarding the reports dated December 4 and related follow-up reports concerning our artist Jo Se-ho. Mr. A, known as the source of these reports, mentioned his acquaintance with Jo Se-ho on his SNS account and raised suspicions that Jo Se-ho is directly or indirectly involved in Mr. A's activities. However, this is merely Mr. A's personal speculation, and we clearly state that it is not true. A2Z Entertainment is actively considering criminal and civil legal action against Mr. A for criminal acts such as defamation by false facts and obstruction of business against our artist. Additionally, to ensure that our artist's activities are not hindered by the indiscriminate spread of false claims, we will strictly respond with legal action based on a zero-tolerance policy against baseless slander, malicious posts, and the reckless dissemination of false information and rumors. Thank you."

The allegations concerning Jo Se-ho remain controversial, and attention is focused on whether the agency will proceed with legal action.