33-year-old Choi Sung-bong, the opera singer who placed second in the 2011 season of Korea’s Got Talent, was found dead in his home in Southern Seoul on Tuesday (June 20) morning of an “apparent suicide,” Deadline reports.

The outlet noted that Choi’s passing marks a pattern in a “string of deaths by young Korean performers,” some of whom also died by suicide.

Choi was best known for his Korea’s Got Talent performance of Ennio Morricone’s “Nella Fantasia” (“In My Fantasy”); following his debut on the show, he signed with record label Sony Music Korea Inc. but eventually left the label in December 2011.

He then moved on to a record deal at Bong Bong Company and stayed with the label until his death. Choi also published a memoir entitled Singing is My Life: A Memoir of my Journey from Homelessness to Fame in 2016, where he wrote about his underprivileged upbringing.

The singer had told fans he had cancer in 2021, and created a public fundraising campaign to raise money for his alleged treatments. When his fans discovered that he had lied about his diagnosis, Choi promised to “make restitution” to his fans, per Deadline.

Choi had posted an apology video to YouTube on Monday (June 19), one day before his death. He shared the video with a note, saying,“From 2011 to the present, I have been receiving attention and love from so many people. I sincerely thank you and express my gratitude,” per Variety.

He added, “Looking back, since I was young, I tried my best to enjoy a normal life, like every day for 10 years, but in the end, I’m sorry.”

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.