Photo: getty
The young Korean star was found dead in his home. No one is saying what happened.
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Dec 05, 2019
The South Korean entertainment world has been rocked by a series of high-profile deaths in the past two months. Two K-pop stars committed suicide in the fall, leaving fans shaken. Now an up and coming South Korean actor named Cha In Ha has been found dead. He was 27 years old.
Cha's career was on a track to incredible success. He had been performing professionally since 2017 and his newest project, a TV series, debuted earlier this month. His death is incredibly mysterious and no one is sharing any details about what might have happened.
How did Cha In Ha die? Here's what we know.
1. A shocking announcement from his agency
The news of the young actor's death was released by the entertainment company Fantagio on Tuesday, the BBC reports. "We are truly heartbroken to deliver sad news to everyone who has sent lots of love and support to Cha In Ha until now. We are filled with grief at this news that is still hard to believe," it said.
They did not share any details about the cause of death. Reuters reports that he was found at home but there haven't been any further details, such as who found him.
2. No autopsy at the request of the family
MSN reports that police announced on December 4 that they will not conducting a post-mortem investigation of Cha. The police statement said: “We do not have any specific details to share regarding Cha In Ha’s passing. We will not be performing an autopsy, per his family’s wishes. No will or final message was discovered at his home. We do not have any information to give regarding his cause of death.”
The BBC notes that Fantagio also deferred to the actor's family's wish for privacy, saying that the funeral would be a family affair.
Family has asked that there be no autopsy.
3. SURPRISE U acting group
Cha isn't a K-pop star but his early acting career is not dissimilar to how many K-pop performers find fame. He was chosen by entertainment company Fantgio to become part of a group, but an acting group, as opposed to a boy band. The group was called SURPRISE U, and consisted of Kim Hyun Seo, Yoon Jung Hyuk, Eun Hae Sung, Ji Gun Woo, and Cha In Ha. It was created and managed by Fantagio and they debuted in a showcase in 2017. The members were all singers, dancers, and actors and they performed live and in short films, according to the entertainment site Soompi.
4. Moving into Korean television
Cha went from SURPRISE U to roles in Korean films and TV shows. He made appearances on "Wok of Love" and "Temperature of Love" as well as the movie You, Deep Inside Me before landing a recurring role on "Clean with Passion for Now." From there he went on to do a part on "The Banker." His latest role was on a TV rom-com called "Love With Flaws", which debuted on Korean television earlier this month.
5. Rumors and suspicions
The circumstances around Cha's death are being kept tightly under wraps by his agency as well as his family but that doesn't stop the speculation that often arises after a young person dies unexpectedly. Cha's agency was quick to ask fans not to speculate on his cause of death. "We earnestly ask for rumours to not be spread and for speculative reports to not be released in order for his family, who is experiencing greater sadness more than anyone due to the sudden sad news, to send him away peacefully," Fantagio wrote in a statement that was reported by the BBC.
6. Life for a Korean star
The South Korean entertainment industry is reaching global audiences like never before but the cost to the stars may be more than some of them can take. Entertainment companies have a trainee system for developing talent, where they bring in young performers and provide them with the training they need to be stars. This isn't like going away to drama camp, however. The CBC describes a system where the young people are housed in dorms with limited contact with family. They take classes and rehearse for hours every day, go on diets and even undergo plastic surgery to live up to the expectations of the industry. Once the performers debut as stars, they face constant scrutiny from fans and management alike. Some are subjected to brutal online criticism, as their every move is dissected by the public.
7. Other Korean performer deaths
Cha's death follows the deaths of two other young, famous Korean performers. K-pop stars Sulli, 25, and Goo Hara, 28, both died by suicide in the past two months. The high-profile deaths have turned a spotlight on the South Korean entertainment industry and the distress stars can face living in the spotlight. Before her death by suicide, Goo Hara wrote pleading messages on social media, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure. "Public entertainers like myself don’t have it easy — we have our private lives more scrutinized than anyone else and we suffer the kind of pain we cannot even discuss with our family and friends,” she said. “Can you please ask yourself what kind of person you are before you post a vicious comment online?”
Multiple performers have died in recent weeks.
We may never know what happened to Cha In Ha. Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog FeminXer about being a GenX feminist and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.