Family Of Popular Model Who Died At 29 Dispels Rumors Surrounding His Death, Reveal Details Of What Led Up To It
The family of model Kim Jong Seok (29) has stepped forward to correct false rumors surrounding his death.
On June 9, Kim Jong Seok’s older sister posted on Instagram, stating: “The claim that ‘he was drunk, stormed into his girlfriend’s home, caused a disturbance with a soju bottle, and jumped when police arrived’ is not true.”
She explained, “Jong-seok was struggling financially and emotionally due to a scam by an acquaintance. He lost all his savings and was burdened with debt, making everyday life difficult. Overwhelmed and exhausted by everything going on, including what happened that day, he made this tragic decision after much turmoil and hopelessness.”
She further clarified: “That evening, Jong-seok and his girlfriend were each drinking separately with their own friends. When he couldn’t reach her, he became worried and visited her place with a friend. His girlfriend, her sister, and the sister’s boyfriend were asleep. Jong-seok, his friend, and another male acquaintance who was awake chatted and even exchanged jokes. After the girlfriend woke up, there was no violent behavior or disturbance—just a minor argument between the couple.”
The sister added, “During the argument, things got a bit heated as others got involved while trying to mediate. Jong-seok’s friend broke a soju bottle in an attempt to stop the fight, which led to someone calling the police. The rumor that Jong-seok ran from or avoided the police is also false.” She said she would share the edited audio recordings from the police and the friend, KakaoTalk messages from those present, and conversations with the girlfriend to clarify the truth.
She concluded, “Family, friends, and those who knew Jong-seok are feeling wronged and deeply hurt. This will be my last message, and I ask that false reports and malicious comments stop. Malicious comments have already been reported, and any future defamatory or false remarks will be reported immediately. Please stop dishonoring and blaming the deceased.”
Kim Jong Seok passed away on June 4. According to Gyeonggi Hanam Police, a 112 emergency call was received at 9:38 a.m. that day from an officetel in Mangwol-dong, Hanam, reporting “a person is causing a disturbance.” It was later reported that the individual (referred to as A) had been at an acquaintance’s place with others and had acted violently, allegedly throwing a soju bottle toward his girlfriend. The police separated A and the girlfriend (referred to as B) and recommended he go home. A left the building around 9:50 a.m., but about 20 minutes later, he jumped from the rooftop and died. Once the death was reported, netizens began speculating that “A” was Kim Jong Seok.
Kim Jong Seok was a beauty and fashion model, known for appearing in YouTube Shorts for the men’s cosmetics brand DASHU. He also appeared on the 2022 tvN dating show Skip.
Source: (A)
