South Korean pop star, Choi Sung-bong found dead after committing suicide aged 33.
The singer was found by police at his home in the Yeoksam-dong district of Seoul at 9.41am on Tuesday, June 20, according to The Korea Times.
It comes just two years after he was exposed for lying about having multiple types of cancer and asking fans to donate cash for his treatment.
After it was revealed to be a hoax, he apologised and promised to return any donations.
Sung-bong rose to fame on Korea’s Got Talent on tvN in 2011, before signing a recording contract with Bong Bong Company.
Bieber wrote on Facebook at the time, ‘This is amazing. Never say never, and good luck to this boy. Good story.’
At the time, he was lauded by the media as Korea’s answer to Susan Boyle.
Police believe that he died by suicide due to a note he posted on his YouTube channel the day before his death in which he apologised for his ‘foolish mistakes’.
He wrote: ‘From 2011 to the present, I have been receiving attention and love from so many people. I sincerely thank you and express my gratitude.’
He went on to apologise for the 2021 scam: ‘I am sincerely sorry for my foolish mistakes and those who have suffered damage, and I have repeatedly made mistakes.
‘For the past two years, we have returned all those who have asked for a return of donations.
‘Looking back, since I was young, I tried my best to enjoy a normal life, like every day for 10 years, but in the end, I’m sorry.
‘I have no regrets about the journey of life that I have lived brilliantly. I have lived to the best of my ability and tried to have happiness every day.
‘I am sincerely sorry to the many people who have been harmed because of me… I’m sorry to the many people who helped me.’
The singer released a number of singles, including Slowcoach in 2016, Tonight in 2021 and I PRAY in 2022.
Choi also wrote a memoir after his rise to fame, exploring his impoverished upbringing and telling how he dropped out of music school due to financial worries.
In his audition for Korea’s Got Talent, he revealed he was left in an orphanage aged three but said he ran away after being beaten at just five years old.
He said he had lived homeless since then, moving around from place to place on his own. He added that singing was the one thing that had brought him joy during this immensely troubling time.
Despite saying that he wasn’t a good singer, Choi brought the judges to tears with his emotional and powerful performance.
His death comes just a week after South Korean actress Park Soo Ryun died aged 29 after falling down a set of stairs while returning home.
