Actor Jang Dong-ju turns TikTok creator after sudden retirement, earning up to W40m a month

Actor Jang Dong-ju has signed an exclusive contract with a live content company as his first move since retiring from acting.

Jang signed with Universe Label, a live content firm led by CEO Ryu Jae-young, and has begun new activities under the deal.

Following the signing, Jang made his first appearance on a live broadcast run by Sparta Label, a channel operated by Universe Label. His debut stream drew about 20 million won ($13,800) in viewer donations.

On TikTok, Jang reached the A1 League just three weeks after launching his live broadcasts. He has also won live match competitions against fellow celebrity creators, including actor Park Si-hoo and singer-producer MC Mong.

He currently earns an average of about 1 million won per day through TikTok Live, translating to monthly revenue in the 30 million to 40 million won range.

Jang has said he intends to return to acting once he has paid off all his debts.

Jang abruptly announced his retirement from acting in May. The announcement came roughly six months after he revealed he had accumulated about 4 billion won in debt following a phone hacking and extortion incident in January.

Jang made his acting debut in the 2012 stage production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Most recently, he played Hyeon Woo-seok in the SBS drama series "No Tail to Tell," which concluded in February.