South Korean actress Jung Chae-yull found dead at 26

A young South Korean actress still at the start of a promising career was found dead at her home on Tuesday, according to the production company she worked with. Although no cause of death was released, the episode reignited concerns about the mental health of young people working in South Korea’s highly competitive entertainment industry.

The actress, Jung Chae-yull, 26, is the most recent example of the phenomenon of celebrities in their twenties dying suddenly. Some, but not all, cases have been recognized as suicides.

“Actress Chae-yull passed away on April 11, 2023,” Management S, Ms. Jung’s agency in Seoul, said in a statement on Tuesday. “We pray that Chae-yull, who has always been sincere in her acting career, may rest in peace in a warm place.”

Two years ago, another 26-year-old actress, Song Yoo-jung, was also found dead at her home in Seoul. The careers of Ms. Song and Ms. Jung had started just a few years before their deaths. Ms. Song’s agency also did not disclose the cause of her death.

In October 2019, Sully, 25, a member of a K-pop girl group, was found dead in her home after being repeatedly bullied. Officials determined it was a suicide. A few weeks later, 28-year-old Goo Hara, another K-pop singer, was found dead in her home, and her death was also ruled a suicide.

“Unless the entertainment industry and the media change, South Korea will be number one when it comes to celebrity suicides,” one K-pop fan wrote on Twitter. South Korean authorities recently announced that instances of bullying will now be reflected in university applications, as the country strives to end such bullying. abuse.

Ms. Jung was honored in 2016 at a fashion competition in South Korea called “Devil’s Runway”, which grouped new and veteran models into teams to compete on the catwalk. She has earned multiple endorsements from popular brands such as Etude, a major cosmetics company in South Korea, and American fashion brands such as Jill Stuart.

Ms. Jung got into acting in 2018, when she landed a lead role in the film “Deep,” a thriller set in the Philippines. She would go on to star in at least one more movie and two series, including “Zombie Detective,” which won an award at the 2020 KBS Entertainment Awards in South Korea.

Recently, Ms. Jung was filming a new series titled “Wedding Impossible,” based on a web novel. Filming has been temporarily suspended, according to Studio 329, the company working with her on the project.

Ms Jung was born in 1996 and loved boxing and snowboarding, according to social media posts. Since Tuesday, fans have flooded his Instagram account to pay tribute to him.

“I love you, Chae-yull, I’ll pray for your happiness in heaven,” a fan written after the announcement.

Ms. Jung’s family plans to hold a private funeral, according to her agency.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.