The family of the late model Kim Jong-seok has addressed rumors surrounding him.
In the early hours of the 9th, Kim Jong-seok’s older sister posted on her personal account, saying, “First, I want to correct the articles and community posts that are not true.” She clarified that the rumors stating, “He drunkenly rushed to his girlfriend’s house and caused a disturbance with a soju bottle before jumping to his death when the police arrived,” are not true.
She explained, “At that time, Jong-seok and his girlfriend were drinking separately with their acquaintances (Jong-seok was with a hometown friend, and his girlfriend was with her sister, the sister’s boyfriend, and another man). Worried as he couldn’t reach his girlfriend, Jong-seok went to her house with his friend. His girlfriend, her sister, and the sister’s boyfriend were asleep, while another male acquaintance who was awake was conversing and joking with Jong-seok and his friend. When his girlfriend woke up, it wasn’t about unilateral assault or disturbance; it was a simple argument between the couple.”
She further emphasized, “In the process of trying to calm the argument, as things started to get somewhat heated with other people involved, Jong-seok’s friend broke a soju bottle to stop the fight, which led to a police report.”
Additionally, Kim Jong-seok’s sister shared, “It’s also not true that he ran away or tried to escape when the police arrived,” and supported this statement by releasing edited audio recordings from the police, a friend of Kim Jong-seok, KakaoTalk messages from the girlfriend’s sister who was at the scene, and conversations with his girlfriend.
She continued, “Moreover, Jong-seok was having a very difficult time financially and emotionally due to a scam by an acquaintance. Not only did he lose all his savings, but he also faced financial difficulties due to debts incurred from the scam.” She explained that he was worn out and distressed from multiple issues, which likely led to his unfortunate decision.
Finally, the late Kim Jong-seok’s sister added, “We have already reported malicious comments, and we plan to continue reporting any false rumors or defamatory comments immediately. We ask that you stop the mockery and criticism of the deceased.”
Earlier, on the 4th, Kim Jong-seok passed away at the age of 29. The cause of death remains undisclosed. Following his death, speculations arose linking him to an alleged incident where someone threw a soju bottle at a lover, leading to a police report and then jumping from the rooftop, with people questioning if this individual was Kim Jong-seok.
Meanwhile, Kim Jong-seok gained recognition through his appearance in a YouTube Shorts video for the men’s cosmetics brand Dashu, and he also appeared on the tvN variety show ‘Skip’ in 2022.