Korean singer Choi Sung-bong, who sprung to fame after inserting second on Korea’s Received Expertise, has died by suicide, Seoul police mentioned Wednesday. He was 33.

Choi was discovered lifeless by police at his dwelling within the Yeoksam-dong district in southern Seoul at 9:41 a.m. Tuesday, in line with South Korea wire service Yonthap, which was the primary to report the information.

Choi had an underprivileged upbringing and dropped out of music faculty as a result of he couldn’t afford the tutoring charges. After spending years supporting himself as a day laborer, his huge break got here in 2011 when he landed a spot on Korea’s Received Expertise, broadcast by tvN. Choi’s operatic efficiency of Ennio Morricone’s “Nella Fantasia” wowed the present’s judges and he superior to the finals, ultimately coming in second place by simply 280 votes. The YouTube clip of his efficiency on the present went viral and was considered over 21 million occasions, with Ok-pop stars like BoA and Jung-Hwa Um selling it on social media. Choi bought a good larger increase when Justin Bieber praised him on his Fb web page, writing, “That is superior. By no means say by no means, and good luck to this child. Nice story.” Worldwide media retailers on the time hailed Choi as Korea’s model of the Susan Boyle story.

Choi scored a report take care of Korean label Bong Bong Firm and later revealed a bestselling memoir about his journey from an impoverished youth to web fame. However his profession took a flip in direction of infamy in 2021 after he launched a public fundraising marketing campaign saying he was preventing a number of types of most cancers and wanted cash for remedy. The episode was later revealed to be a hoax.

Yonhap studies that Seoul police concluded Choi killed himself due to the circumstances at his dwelling on the time his physique was found — and due to a word he uploaded to his YouTube channel earlier within the week.

“I sincerely apologize to all who suffered from my silly mistake,” the word mentioned, including that Choi had returned the entire donations he acquired underneath false pretenses.

South Korea’s leisure business has been stricken by a succession of deaths of younger performers lately, inflicting rising concern in regards to the psychological well being stresses skilled by artists within the nation. In 2019, Ok-pop star Sulli, 25, was discovered lifeless in her dwelling after experiencing a wave of cyberbullying. Simply weeks later, Goo Hara, 28, one other Ok-pop star, was discovered lifeless in her dwelling. Each instances had been dominated suicides. Ok-drama actresses, Jung Chae-yull and Music Yoo-jung, each 26, additionally handed away abruptly lately, however their companies didn’t disclose the reason for their deaths.

In October 2021, the South Korean authorities launched a plan to enhance the psychological well being assist out there to native celebrities. However the high-profile deaths have continued. Haesoo, a 29-year-old Ok-pop signer, died by reported suicide simply earlier this month.

If you happen to or anybody you recognize within the U.S. is having ideas of suicide, please name the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/assets. In different territories, please name your native suicide hotline.