Song Yoo-jung, a South Korean actress best known for TV series Golden Rainbow and web series Dear my name, died in Seoul on Saturday, January 23. She was 26 years old and, although no cause has been reported, Song’s death follows a series of deaths of young people by suicide that have shaken the local industry.
Song’s death was confirmed by representatives of the Sublime Artist Agency. A statement indicated that a funeral was “held in silence”, according to the family’s wishes, and a funeral procession will take place today.
“Song Yu Jung was a friend of ours who always cheered us up with her bright smile,” said the statement, “and she was a wonderful actress who acted with passion.”
An obituary in The New York Times notes that Song started her acting career six years ago and appeared in commercials for the Estée Lauder and Baskin-Robbins ice cream products, as well as in several music videos. She was also an advocate for people with disabilities.
His prominent role came in 2019 with the popular web series Dear my name, in which she played an architecture student.
The wave of suicide deaths among young artists in South Korea has drawn attention to the stress and pressure on rising stars and the industry’s failure to deal with mental health problems. Since 2017, K-pop stars Kim Jong-hyun, Sulli and Goo Hara have died of suicide. They were all in their 20s.
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.