Actor Jo Byung-gyu, who was once embroiled in a school bullying controversy, is set to return in the drama "The Uncanny Counter 2."

On the 20th, tvN announced that "The Uncanny Counter" Season 2 will be broadcast as a weekend drama in the second half of 2023. Jo Byung-gyu, Yoo Jun-sang, Kim Se-jeong, Yeom Hye-ran, and Ahn Suk-hwan, who appeared in Season 1, will return for Season 2, along with newcomers Jin Sun-kyu, Kang Ki-young, Kim Hie-ra, and Yoo In-soo.

The 2020 drama "The Uncanny Counter" is based on a webtoon of the same name, which has garnered over 160 million cumulative views in South Korea. The story follows a group of demon hunters disguised as restaurant employees who fight evil spirits on Earth. The series started with a 2.7% rating for the first episode and ultimately achieved an average of 11%, peaking at 11.9%, making it the highest-rated drama in OCN's history.

As the drama returns after three years, fans' expectations are high. However, concerns coexist due to the "school bully" label still attached to Jo Byung-gyu, who plays the title role.

Jo Byung-gyu's bullying allegations surfaced in 2021. Initially, Jo's side insisted the allegations were groundless, claiming that the first accuser had admitted to fabricating facts and had sent an apology letter. However, the accuser later stated they never wrote an apology or asked for leniency, and that they never will, causing further controversy.

Jo's agency is pursuing legal action against the accuser, but progress has been slow as the accuser resides overseas. Jo Byung-gyu has been focusing on resuming his career, appearing in numerous works such as the movie "Even if I Die, I Do Once Again" and the drama "History of Losers." Notably, he also played a problem solver fighting for victims of school violence in the short film 'Schoolcast.'

In this situation, the production team of "The Uncanny Counter 2" has decided to move forward with Jo Byung-gyu, despite the risk of the school bullying controversy. It remains to be seen whether 'The Uncanny Counter 2' will be able to continue the success of its predecessor.

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