Korean singer Choi Sung-bong dies after posting last message on YouTube
South Korean singer Choi Sung-bong passed away on Tuesday, June 20. Police and authorities speculated that the 33-year-old singer died of suicide.
According to The Korea Times, Sung-bong was found dead in his home in Seoul at 9:41 a.m. Tuesday. Prior to his death, the operatic singer posted a "farewell" message on his YouTube channel, saying that he would probably be dead by the time people get to read it.
"I am writing this message as a farewell to my fans," he began the letter. "I wanted to let you all know that the love I received over the years is greater, and I've decided to bury it deep in my heart."
The singer's untimely demise came two years since he became controversial for faking multiple cancer diagnoses as part of a money-making scam in January 2021. According to reports, the late singer claimed to be diagnosed with colorectal, thyroid, and prostate cancer using falsified documents and posting pictures of himself wearing hospital gowns.
He was accused and criticized for squandering money—reportedly totaling 1 billion won—for entertainment purposes. Because of this, Sung-bong did a live stream on what appears to be a bridge and said that he has been struggling emotionally since he was young. He expressed his intent of "ending" his fate and was later rescued by paremedics.
The singer apologized for the incident in October 2021 and continued to express his regrets in his last letter. He wrote, "I deeply apologize to those who have suffered due to my foolish mistakes and the harm I have caused. Over the past two years, I have returned all the donations to those who requested it."
From orphan to breakout star
Sung-bong grew up without his parents who abandoned him in an orphanage at the young age of three. According to a report by the Hollywood Reporter, the late singer escaped the facility because of physical abuse. He then started living on his own in Daejeon and despite all the struggles, managed to graduate from Dae-Jeon Art High School.
The orphan-turned-star also studied at Kyung-Hee Cyber University but had to drop out because he could no longer afford the tuition fees. After working as a day laborer selling gum and energy drinks for a decade, Sung-bong finally had his big break in 2011, when he auditioned in Korea's Got Talent with an operatic performance of Nella Fantasia by Ennio Morricone.
His performance went viral with over 21 million views and eventually propelled him to the second-highest spot in the contest's finals. Sung-bong later signed a record deal with Bong Bong Company and in 2016 published his own book titled Singing is My Life: A Memoir of My Journey from Homelessness to Fame.
If you or someone you know is considering self-harm or suicide, you may call the National Mental Health Crisis Hotline at 1553 (Luzon-wide, landline toll-free), 0966-351-4518 or 0917-899-USAP (8727) for Globe/TM users, or 0908-639-2672 for Smart users.