Korean singer Choi Sung-bong dies by suicide: Report

 

Choi Sung-bong, a South Korean singer and the first runner-up of the 2011 season of Korea's Got Talent, has died by suicide at 33, according to police officials.

Choi, who rose to popularity after finishing second on Korea's Got Talent in 2011, was reportedly discovered dead by police at his home in southern Seoul, South Korea, on June 20 in the morning, according to The Korean Times.

He garnered headlines for his appearance on Korea's Got Talent in 2011. His performance on YouTube went viral, and other K-pop singers such as BoA and Jung-Hwa praised him on social media platforms. People started loving his songs.

Once, Justin Bieber, the famous international singer, praised Choi Sung-bong on Facebook. Justin wrote on Facebook, “This is awesome. Never say never, and good luck to this kid. Great story.”

According to reports, Choi came from a low-income family and dropped out of school because he couldn't afford the tuition. He graduated from Dae-Jeon Art High School. Choi earned a big break in 2011 after years of supporting himself as a day labour. Korea's Got Talent made him the star. 

In 2021, Choi launched a fundraising campaign, claiming he was facing numerous types of cancer and needed money for treatment. However, the report was found to be false. He claimed that he did wrong and assured to return all the donations to the fans and people.

A day before his death, Choi uploaded a note on his YouTube channel. He wrote on the note, “I sincerely apologise to all who suffered from my foolish mistake.” The note also claimed that all donations were returned to respective parties. 

Many Korean celebrities have committed suicide in recent months. Haesoo died by suicide at age 29 in May this year. K-Pop boy band Astro's member Moonbin died by suicide in April.