Actor Cha In-ha Found Dead at 27 — the Third Young South Korean Performer to Die in 2 Months
Cha In-ha, a young Korean actor who was known for his roles in The Banker and Miss Independent Ji Eun 2, has died. He was 27.
Cha’s talent agency, Fantagio, confirmed the devastating news on Tuesday in a statement obtained by the Korean daily newspaper Hankook Ilbo.
“We’re sincerely hurt that we’re sending this sad news to the people who have given Cha In-ha so much love and supported him until now,” said a spokesperson from the entertainment agency.
The spokesperson urged fans to refrain from speculating about the circumstances around Cha’s death while his family copes with the unimaginable tragedy. They also revealed that a private funeral would be held in the coming days.
On Tuesday, South Korean police told the local outlet that the young actor’s body was discovered by his manager at his home. Police are currently investigating details, but no cause of death has been released.
A post shared by 차인하 (@chainha_715) on Jul 24, 2019 at 2:23am PDT
RELATED: Sulli, K-Pop Star, Found Dead in Her Apartment at Age 25
Cha, whose real name was Lee Jae-ho, had recently risen to fame in the South Korean entertainment scene over the past few years, Variety reports.
Besides starring in The Banker and Miss Independent Ji Eun 2, the actor also appeared in Temperature of Love, Wok of Love, and First, Clean Passionately.
Most recently, Cha starred in MBC’s new romantic-comedy series Love With Flaws. He was also a member of Fantagio’s actor group Surprise U, according to Variety.
On the day of his tragic passing, Cha had posted a series of photos of himself in a leather jacket on Instagram, posing with a white mug in hand as he looked down at his phone. “Everybody, watch out,” he captioned the shots.
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RELATED: K-Pop Star Goo Hara, 28, Found Dead Inside Her Home
Cha’s death marks the third young Korean entertainer to die in a span of two months.
In October, K-Pop star and singer Sulli, who was a former member of the popular girl group f(x), was found dead in her Sujeong-gu apartment.
Initial evidence, including a note found at the scene, indicated that Sulli, 25, died by suicide, authorities said — though they “will leave all possibilities open and investigate.”
Then last week, another K-Pop star, Goo Hara, was found dead at her home in Seoul. She was 28.
Hara, who was a member of the K-Pop group Kara, was hospitalized in May after what police had said was a suicide attempt inside her apartment, according to BBC News.
Both causes of death have not yet been confirmed by authorities.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
