Choi Jin-young
Born(1970-11-17)November 17, 1970[1]
Seoul, South Korea
DiedMarch 29, 2010(2010-03-29) (aged 39)
Seoul, South Korea
Cause of deathSuicide by hanging
Other namesSKY
EducationKyungwon College – Creative Writing (dropout)
Hanyang University – Theatre
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active1990–2010
FamilyChoi Jin-sil (sister)
Korean name
Hangul
최진영
Hanja
崔眞永
Revised RomanizationChoe Jin-yeong
McCune–ReischauerCh'oe Chin-yŏng

Choi Jin-young (Korean: 최진영; November 17, 1970[1] – March 29, 2010) was a South Korean actor and singer.

Career

Choi made his debut as a television commercial model in 1987 and began his acting career three years later. He rose to stardom in 1993 with the popular TV show Our Paradise, and his resemblance to his elder sister, popular actress Choi Jin-sil gave him a head start in his career, while his youthful image helped him gain recognition in various TV dramas, commercials and even films. Choi's acting career floundered but in 1999, after completing military service, he returned to the stage as a singer using the stage name SKY. His first album Final Fantasy was a success, with the popular single "Forever" topping music charts. He released his third and last album in 2004. In 2007, he returned to acting with a supporting role in the series It's OK Because I Love You, but failed to catch much attention.[2]

Personal life

When Choi Jin-sil committed suicide on October 2, 2008, photos of Choi in tears clutching his sister's picture shook the nation, and fans wept with him as he led her funeral procession.[3] Acting upon his late sister's wishes to finish college, he belatedly enrolled in Hanyang University to study acting in 2009, and played Demetrius in a staging of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.[4][5]

Suffering from depression after his sister's death, Choi canceled engagements for more than a year. Friends later said he made several suicide attempts and had his stomach pumped for a drug overdose in 2009. Refusing his mother's pleas that he see a doctor, Choi relied instead on nonprescription tranquilizers he bought from a pharmacy. In January 2010, Choi signed with a new agency, MCloud Entertainment, and announced plans on March 2 to resume activities in the first half of the year, but his approaching comeback added to his stress and he increasingly felt frustrated that he wasn't getting cast in any TV series.[6][7]

Death

On March 29, 2010, Choi hanged himself with an electrical cord in the attic of his apartment in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul. When Choi did not answer the phone, Chung alerted Choi's mother, and the two hurried to his home together. His body was found by his mother and a woman identified as Chung, who was his junior in college. They called the police and a 119 rescue squad around 2:14 pm. Choi was rushed to Gangnam Severance Hospital for CPR at 2:46 p.m. but was pronounced dead on arrival.[8][9]

Choi's body was cremated and buried next to his sister at the Kapsan Cemetery in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province.[10][11][12]

Filmography

Television series

Film

Theater

Discography

Album information Track listing
Final Fantasy
  • 1st Album
  • Released: November 17, 1999
  • Label: Doremi Media / KT Music
Track listing
  1. 영원
  2. 회상
  3. My Lady
  4. Blue Morning
  5. 다시 사랑할 수 있는 날까지
  6. 작은 시간
  7. Fell Empty
  8. 언제나 항상 내 곁에
  9. The Best Is Yet To Come
  10. 영원 (bonus track/MR)
영원 II
  • 2nd Album
  • Released: November 12, 2001
  • Label: Wawa Entertainment
Track listing
  1. 24시간의 신화
  2. 인연
  3. 悲歌 (비가)
  4. 너를 위해
  5. 영원 II
  6. 고백
  7. 罰 (벌)
  8. 사랑하지만
  9. 男兒一言重千今 (남아일언중천금)
  10. 내 안의 너
  11. 영원의 빛 (instrumental)
  12. Never Sky
  13. 비야
Sky the 3rd
  • 3rd Album
  • Released: September 23, 2004
  • Label: Korean Association of Phonogram Producers
Track listing
  1. 백야
  2. 그때까지만
  3. 나는 너를 A
  4. 기약
  5. 나를
  6. 다시 시작
  7. 나는 너를 B
  8. 그녀는 눈물만
  9. 바라만 볼께요
  10. 사랑하니까
  11. 그때까지만 (MR)

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b "Choi Jin Young". koreandrama.org. Archived from the original on April 21, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  2. ^ Han, Sang-hee (March 29, 2010). "Choi Jin-young Dead in Apparent Suicide Monday". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  3. ^ "Choi Jin-young Dead in Apparent Suicide Monday". koreatimes. March 29, 2010. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  4. ^ Park, Sun-young (June 5, 2009). "Reunion for 'Midsummer Night' revival". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2013.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Chung, Ah-young (June 9, 2009). "Star Actors Team Up in Shakespeare Play". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  6. ^ Kim, Mi-ju (March 31, 2010). "Police: Choi depressed before suicide". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ "Star Choi Jin-young Commits Suicide". The Chosun Ilbo. March 30, 2010. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  8. ^ Kim, Mi-ju (March 29, 2010). "Brother of late actress Choi Jin-sil commits suicide". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ Kim, Mi-ju (March 30, 2010). "Choi Jin-sil's kin found dead from a possible suicide". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ 故 최진영, 사후 100일 만에 누나 최진실 옆 안장. No Cut News (in Korean). July 6, 2010. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  11. ^ Han, Sang-hee (March 31, 2010). "Choi Jin-young Laid to Rest". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  12. ^ "Last memorial for Choi in Yangpyeong". Korea JoongAng Daily. October 3, 2011. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ "2000 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list" Archived August 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. MAMA. Retrieved June 12, 2014.

External links

Blue Dragon Film Award for Best New Actor
MAMA Award for Best New Artist
Authority control databases
Categories