26 years on, broadcaster Joo Byung-jin still carries scars from false rape accusation

Broadcaster Joo Byung-jin has opened up about the anguish he endured after being accused of rape and fighting the charges in court.

On Monday's episode of tvN STORY's variety program "Namgyeoseo Mwohage," Joo and fellow broadcaster Lee Kyung-kyu reunited on screen for the first time in 36 years to reflect on their careers and lives.

Joo looked back on his peak years as a broadcaster and businessman, saying he still regrets that making money had been his sole ambition. "It was an incredibly ignorant dream," he said. He added that after achieving that goal, he was left feeling hollow. "I only had a first goal — I had no next dream," he said. "I should have set another target for where to go once that was achieved, but instead I just drifted." He then said that as frustration and a sense of gloom set in, he began to feel frightened of the world.

At the height of his fame as a broadcaster and entrepreneur, Joo was arrested in 2000 on rape charges, setting off a two-year legal battle that ended in his acquittal. The emotional wounds from that ordeal, however, have never fully healed.

"Ruining someone else's life out of your own greed is a grave sin," Joo said. "If you destroy a life, that person has to live in darkness for years on end — the pain is beyond words." He added that the scars on his heart would never fade. "They will keep tormenting me until the day I die," he said.

He also shared a story about how, during that dark period, he unexpectedly saved another person's life.

Joo recalled visiting the Han River one day when he was struggling emotionally, and spotting someone in a dangerous situation on a bridge. He said he approached carefully so as not to startle the person and guided them to safety, after which the two sat down and talked.

"They suddenly broke into tears," he said, recalling the moment. He then said the two moved to a nearby pojangmacha, a street food stall, where he listened to the person's story.

"I had gone there in a similar state of mind myself, but I told them not to give in to weakness," Joo said. "Then I handed them over to the police and left."

Joo has spoken about the psychological toll of the case before. Appearing on MBC's variety program "Hwanggeumeojiang-Mureuppadosa" in 2011, he confessed that "mental scars have been getting in the way of my activities" and that he had long been living with those wounds. He added that he had decided it was time to shake them off and step back into the public eye, explaining why he had returned to broadcasting.

If you're thinking about self-harm or suicide, dial the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 109, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.