Song Jae-lim, South Korean Actor, Dies at 39

South Korean actor Song Jae-lim was found dead at his home in Seoul on Tuesday. He was 39.

Police sources said that Song’s body was found in Seoul’s Seongdong Ward at around 12:30 p.m. by a friend who had plans to have lunch with the actor, according to Korean media reports.

The cause of death was not revealed, but the sources said that there were no apparent signs of foul play. A note was found at the scene.

Song (whose name is also written as Song Jae-rim) debuted in the 2009 film “Actresses.” His popularity increased through his role as a warrior loyal to the king in the 2012 drama “Moon Embracing the Sun,” in which he appeared in 20 episodes. He later gained further popularity while appearing in the 2014 reality show “We Got Married.” He appeared in 38 episodes, according to the Internet Movie Database.

Among Song’s final appearances was a leading role in action-comedy film “Get Rich,” directed by Yang Tae-jin. It is understood to have started post-production in late September.

The actor’s family told Yonhap News Agency that they wished to hold a small funeral involving only family members.

While currently enjoying global impact through K-pop music and TV drama series, South Korea also has a long record of untimely deaths by celebrities, performers and musicians. In some cases, suspicion has pointed to the high pressures of training and competition to break through to stardom. In other instances, both conventional and social media have intruded into celebrities’ private lives and kept even minor misdemeanors alive in the news cycle for weeks or months.

After the death by suicide of “Parasite” star Lee Sun-kyun at the end of 2023, several prominent media figures accused the police of complicity with the media and asked them to dial down sensationalist coverage.

If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.