South Korean singing sensation Wheesung, 43, was discovered dead at his home,
The body of the K-Pop icon, born Choi Whee-sung, reportedly found a “significant amount of time” post mortem. Authorities in Seoul have reported that although the artist was in cardiac arrest when found, foul play is not suspected in the investigation of his death.
Wheesung, born Choi Whee-sung, burst onto the scene in 2002 and quickly gained recognition for his soulful voice. He was a massive hit in the 2000s and is credited with bringing R&, B to the forefront in South Korea.
Over time, Wheesung became a mentor and vocal coach to K-pop stars, even penning songs for some of them. He collaborated with numerous artists and performed at K-pop concerts worldwide, including Hollywood.
He was set to perform alongside ballad singer KCM this weekend in Daegu city. His R&, B ballads have been lauded by veteran Korean singers like Shin Seung-hun and Seo Tae-ji.
“F*** it really hurts. Jonghyun, Sulli, Hara, Moonbin, Wheesung… I saw them all on stage. And they’ve all passed at a young age. As much as I love the music, I hate how the industry mentally and physically takes a toll on people. They do not get enough rest”, one fan wrote on Twitter (X) as thousands paid tribute online.
“Rest in peace, Wheesung. Thank you for being the silent cheerleader for a lot of our young kpop dreamers, including Mamamoo”, another added, with a third writing: “Thank you WHEESUNG for write golden song like this for super junior, REST IN PEACE”. On Instagram, papper Verbal Jint posted a black square, accompanied with the caption: “Every moment we shared was an honour, and I’m grateful. You’ve worked so hard, rest in peace, Wheesung”.
Wheesung was handed a two-year suspended sentence in 2021 for abusing propofol, a powerful anesthetic which also caused the death of Michael Jackson. On two occasions in 2020, the late singer was found unconscious along with syringes and vials containing etomidate, a sleep-inducing drug similar to propofol.
In December 2023, Wheesung revealed he was living a more reclusive life, telling fans on Instagram: “It’s been a while. Due to severe mental anguish, I’ve been hiding at home for a long time. I tried styling my hair for the first time in a while. I’ll try to update more frequently”.
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