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Park Yong-ha discovered dead at home

javabeans — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:50:56 +0000

Breaking news: Park Yong-ha was discovered dead at his Nonhyun-dong, Seoul, home on the morning of June 30. I’ll update with details if/as they become available.

I am in utter shock. WHAT?

Park Yong-ha died at the age of 32, having debuted fifteen years ago in youth shows like KBS’s 1995 Love Blossoms in the Classroom and 1996′s Start. He shot to fame with 2002′s Winter Sonata, which made him a household name and a “Hallyu star.” He used that fame as a springboard a singing career in Japan, where he enjoyed quite a lot of popularity. He had a successful drama hit in 2008′s On Air, and totally stole my heart in 2009′s Story of a Man, which is one of my favorite dramas EVER.

Most recently, Park Yong-ha was cast alongside Yoon Eun-hye in the high-profile drama remake of Hong Kong film Tian Mi Mi, tentatively titled Love Song.

This is just… awful. Horrible and unexpected. Currently they are not ruling this a suicide, but that’s the foremost presumption.

UPDATE

The evening prior to his death (29th), Park missed a meeting with drama producers for his upcoming project Love Song. His manager couldn’t get in contact with him.
One producer said that they had seen Park occasionally in a down mood, but attributed it to news of Park’s father suffering from cancer. His father recently moved back home from the hospital after his stomach cancer was deemed late-stage.
Park reportedly died from hanging. He was found by his mother in his room with a cell phone cord around his neck.
Around 12:40 am, he was with his father, massaging his father’s legs. Park told him “I’m sorry” over and over. He then went into his room, where he was found in the morning.
Producers of Love Song are “in panic mode” because Park’s passing leaves them without a lead. Yeah, eff you producers.
Park had said in an interview that he suffered from depression, which was exacerbated by prolonged promotional activities abroad.
One friend says, “There’s no way to know the real reason, but when I met Park a few months ago, he seemed depressed.” His father’s illness made things worse.
Park’s Story of a Man co-star Park Shi-yeon (currently acting in Coffee House) reportedly received a “huge shock” from the news and “is in very bad condition.” She is so distraught that there’s concern she won’t be able to continue filming.
Park Shi-yeon spoke with Park on the phone yesterday, but thought he sounded normal.
And the media frenzy begins. That photo is from outside Park’s home.
The parade of celebrity visits is also just beginning, with stars coming to pay their respects to Park, whose body was transferred to a Kangnam hospital. It’s morning in Korea now, and this will likely continue all day. I won’t be posting on it, but you can rest assured there’ll be plenty of media there as well.
His death is even more perplexing because he had made plans to meet friends later in the day.
Park’s last phone call (or one of his last) was reportedly with DBSK’s Hero Jaejoong, with whom he’d grown closer as he gave the latter advice about pursuing singer activities in Japan. Jaejoong is currently recording in the U.S. and said, “I spoke with him on the phone yesterday, and his voice sounded so bright. I didn’t feel he was at all different from his normal self. We agreed to have a drink together when I got back to Korea. I’m in such shock.”
Park’s last twitter message was posted Saturday the 26th (http://twitter.com/yonaaaaaa) and was about the World Cup. “We lost. But they did well. clap clap clap~ Everyone, let’s clap with warm hears for our national soccer team, who return with heavy steps. Good job!!”
Park had just come back from a tour in Japan. The day before that (the 25th), he tweeted, “How could they know to come to the airport and see me, and at such a late hour? ^^ I didn’t tell anyone but how could they know? keke. Impressive~ Anyway, thank you for coming to see me!! Tomorrow at the concert I’ll have to ask, ‘Who came to the airport yesterday?~~’ keke See you tomorrow ^^”
In an interview last year while promoting his movie The Scam, Park said, “I’ve suffered from insomnia for the last ten years. I’m rather sensitive. If something bothers me I can’t sleep until it’s resolved.” He added, “I’m envious of people who can sleep well. I think sleep is needed for good mental health.”

Via E Daily, Mk.co.kr

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Choi Jin-shil’s brother Choi Jin-young commits suicide

javabeans — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 06:49:55 +0000

OH NO.

Only a year and a half after his older sister committed suicide, now actor-singer Choi Jin-young has been discovered dead after taking his own life on the morning of March 29.

Choi Jin-young’s body is currently in the funeral hall of a Kangnam hospital in Seoul. A rep from his side said on the afternoon of the 29th, “We heard the sudden sad news from his family. We heard that he has passed away, but we were not told the details. We are stricken with grief.”

Much-beloved actress Choi Jin-shil‘s death rocked the industry when she committed suicide after battling depression in October 2008. Her mental anguish was aggravated by the constant malicious harassment of a netizen who accused Choi of contributing to the suicide of her friend, fellow actor Ahn Jae-hwan, just a month prior. Those two deaths were the first in a series of celebrity suicides that followed (many of those celebrities were said to be battling depression as well).

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Post tags: Choi Jin-shil, Choi Jin-young, deaths

Jang Jin-young’s wedding photo

javabeans — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:15:03 +0000

Actress Jang Jin-young died of stomach cancer in September, after which it was belatedly revealed that she had been secretly married. She had wed her husband, Kim Young-kyun, while in the U.S. for cancer treatment, and registered the marriage to make it official in Korea just days before her passing.

Now her husband has published a book commemorating the 608 days of their relationship, called My Last Gift To Her [그녀에게 보내는 마지막 선물]. Their Las Vegas wedding photo, above, is featured in the book.

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Model Daul Kim dies at age of 20

javabeans — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:12:26 +0000

What in the what? NY Mag has just broken the news that top Korean fashion model Daul Kim was found dead in Paris today, and while details are yet unknown, it appears to have been a suicide.

Daul Kim is probably Korea’s most famous supermodel and had worked a lot in her short career — she was 20. I remember watching her featured in Korean cable reality program I Am A Model, which followed the activities of working models. I’d also occasionally popped in to read her personal blog, I Like To Fork Myself, and found her often-rambling insights interesting and entertaining.

RIP Daul.

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Jang Jin-young was secretly married

javabeans — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:14:01 +0000

Perhaps to ease the sad news of losing 35-year-old actress Jang Jin-young to cancer yesterday (Korean time), the press has been highlighting the fact that Jang left this world having enjoyed a fulfilling career and, as it is now being reported, love life as well. News is circulating that Jang had actually secretly married her boyfriend (only identified as Mr. Kim, 43) with a small wedding ceremony in the States in July, where she was receiving treatment. The couple then went through the paperwork to legally register the marriage in Korea on August 28, just days before her September 1 passing.

The marriage was evidently kept secret not only from her management, but also their families. A reporter’s call with Kim’s father, a former member of parliament, led to an incredulous denial. However, a source at the Seongbuk-gu (a Seoul district) city office confirmed, “The two have completed the marriage registration, and Jang Jin-young and Mr. Kim were legally spouses.” An employee at the office said that Kim came to the office in person with Jang’s official identification and registered the marriage.

Kim père said, “I’ve never heard this before. She was going through a time where she needed to focus on treating her illness, why would she have married? We have no connection to Seongbuk-gu, and it makes no sense that they would have registered their marriage there.”

The city official explained that because of Kim’s area of residence, he is eligible to handle civil matters in any district of his choosing. The Seongbuk-gu office was in the vicinity of the hospital where Jang was re-admitted.

Since her death, a steady stream of celebrities and friends have been paying their respects to their deceased colleague. (They include: Lee Byung-heon, Jeon Do-yeon, Han Ji-min, Song Il-kook, Song Hye-gyo, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Ah-joong, Kim Jung-eun, Lee Beom-soo, Hwang Jung-min, Yoo Sun, Im Soo-jung, Kim Joo-hyuk, Park Hae-il, Han Jae-seok, Lee Jung-jae, Han Ji-hye, Kim Seung-woo, Lee Seung-yeon, Kim Seok-hoon, Eom Ji-won, Park Kyung-lim.) The funeral procession will take place on the morning of September 4.

Via E Daily, Hankyung, Newsen

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Jang Jin-young takes a turn for the worse passes away

javabeans — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:18:47 +0000

UPDATE: Jang Jin-young has passed away on September 1, at the age of 35.

This is very sad. Actress Jang Jin-young (Singles, Lobbyist) had announced last September that she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. She stopped all acting activities to focus on treatment, and a few months later seemed to be much improved.

However, now the news is coming out that her health has taken a swift but drastic downturn, and she is reportedly in critical condition. She had recently returned to Korea after receiving medical care in Los Angeles last month. According to a management rep, Jang Jin-young is currently admitted to a Kangnam hospital, and with the recent deterioration, they have stopped medical treatment for the cancer and are now focused on keeping her out of pain. Her family has been told to “prepare themselves” mentally, while a source at the hospital says they are preparing for the worst and keeping CPR equipment and defibrillators at the ready.

Jang Jin-young wishes to be remembered looking healthy, and visitation is restricted to only family members and her boyfriend. She had announced the relationship with a Mr. Kim in July, saying, “When I was exhausted and in pain and wanted to collapse, I found the biggest support close to me and was able to stand again because of him, who gave me courage.”

Via Now News, Mk.co.kr

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Veteran actress Yeo Woon-kye passes away

javabeans — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:50:06 +0000

Oh, sad. Veteran actress Yeo Woon-kye passed away on May 22 after battling cancer. She had initially been diagnosed with cancer of the kidneys in 2007, and had seemed to make a full recovery. However, it was not long ago that she found out that the disease had traveled to her lungs.

Yeo was 69 years old and enjoyed a career spanning 47 years; she had been seen in numerous dramas and films over the years — if you’ve been watching dramas for a while, chances are you’ve seen her more than a few times (she was my favorite cranky granny and a great comic as well as dramatic actress).

Yeo Woon-kye began acting in the late 1950s as a university student, although her bona fide debut came when she joined a theater company following graduation in 1962. She had said in an interview of her early days, “My family strongly opposed my becoming an actor, so I had to give it up and decided to go to school to go into teaching, but even after waiting, there was no space available at school. So that’s how I started acting. It was like fate.”

Some of her more recent roles came in dramas like Dae Jang Geum in 2003, My Name Is Kim Sam-soon in 2005, Bad Family in 2006, and Golden Age of the Daughter-in-Law in 2007.

She is survived by her husband, Cha Sang-hoon (72), a former university professor, and two children (one son, one daughter).

Via Yonhap News

Rookie actress Woo Seung-yeon commits suicide

javabeans — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:54:07 +0000

It’s a sad day when news like this is no longer shocking. There have been way too many celebrity suicides in the past six months.

Woo Seung-yeon, a 24-year-old rookie actress, was found dead on the morning of April 27 at home from an apparent suicide. She had hanged herself in her closet. The suicide is believed to have been triggered by depression.

A family member said on the 28th that she had recently received treatment at a hospital for her depression, but “she couldn’t handle the pain and made an extreme decision.” The relative requested that the deceased be allowed to rest in peace, given the current turmoil of scandals and accidents within the entertainment industry.

Woo Seung-yeon got her start as an internet uljjang, after which she began to model, and then branched out into acting in the movie Herb and the mobile sitcom Yap. Her most recent role was in the Hwang Jung-min film Private Eye [그림자 살인], which was released earlier this month.

(I know someone’s going to ask, so no, there are no indicators that this is related to the current drug scandal.)

Via DongA

Boys Before Flowers actress commits suicide

javabeans — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:42:51 +0000

Oh, this is sad.

Jang Ja-yeon, one of the Boys Before Flowers‘ Jin-Sun-Mi trio of Mean Girls, was found dead in her home on March 7. Her death has been deemed suicide.

The police are still are still looking into the matter, but police have stated that after a first examination of the deceased’s body, there do not appear to be signs of foul play or struggle. Jang’s family does not want an autopsy, so out of respect for their wishes, none will be performed.

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Remembering Lee Eon through his youth

javabeans — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:30:50 +0000

It was a sad day when Lee Eon, most known for his role in the drama Coffee Prince, died in a motorcycle accident last August. Now a book is being published posthumously, featuring Lee’s own writing and music, called Twenty-seven, Burying Youth. The model-turned-actor, born Park Sang-min, died at the age of 27.

Also, as February 5 is Lee’s birthday (born in 1981, he would have been 28), family and friends gathered to commemorate the day at a Kangnam café. Attendees included actors Lee Chun-hee (Good Sunday‘s Chunderella), Joo Ji-hoon (Antique Bakery), his Coffee Prince co-star Kim Jae-wook, Koyote singer Bbaek Ga, and model Jang Yoon-ju.

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Post tags: books, deaths, Jang Yoon-ju, Joo Ji-hoon, Kim Jae-wook, Lee Chun-hee, Lee Eon