The entertainment world is mourning the sudden loss of South Korean model and TV star, Kim Jong Suk, who passed away at just 29.
His death occurred on Tuesday, June 4, and he was laid to rest two days later.
However, the pain of losing such a promising young talent has been worsened by a wave of rumor spreading online.
The popular model, known for his role in the 2022 dating show Skip Dating, died in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, under circumstances that have sparked various claims.
Yet his family has come forward to clarify what truly happened and it paints a much more emotional picture.
Reports had earlier suggested that Kim died after a heated argument with his girlfriend, followed by a police intervention.
However, his sister strongly rejected those reports, explaining that he had been battling deep emotional distress from an investment scam.
She wrote, “The claims that he barged into his girlfriend’s home drunk, caused a disturbance with a soju bottle, and jumped when the police arrived are not true.”
According to his sister, Kim had recently lost his entire savings to a scam involving someone he trusted.
The financial loss left him in serious debt and pushed him into emotional exhaustion.
“He was under extreme financial and emotional distress due to an investment scam committed by an acquaintance,” she added.
She continued, “Not only did he lose his entire fortune, but he also fell into debt from the fraud, making daily life difficult. He was exhausted from these circumstances and had been deep in thought for some time.”
In addition, she addressed the narrative that a violent episode led to his death.
While confirming that there was an argument between Kim and his girlfriend, she firmly stated that it was not violent.
“Later, when his girlfriend woke up, there was no unilateral assault or rampage just a simple argument between the couple,” she explained.
She further clarified that tensions began to rise as others tried to intervene.
“Jong Suk’s friend broke a soju bottle in an attempt to stop the argument, which led to the police being called,” she said.
“Claims that he ran away or tried to avoid the police are also untrue.”
Kim Jong Suk’s sister also announced that evidence would soon be shared publicly, including audio clips from the police conversation and messages between the late model and his girlfriend.
“We are in the middle of funeral preparations, overwhelmed and heartbroken. But I’m seeing so many baseless and false claims spreading across online communities,” she wrote in a Monday post.
“At first, we chose not to respond, hoping Jong Suk could rest in peace. But now, it has gone too far.”
She ended by stating, “We will soon release a summary of the police recording and a statement from the friend who was with him at the time.”
