Choi Sung-bong, K-pop star busted for notorious cancer scam, found dead at 33
nypost.comthe Korea Times reported.They ruled that Choi had taken his own life due to undisclosed circumstances at home, as well as a note he’d uploaded to YouTube a day before his passing.
In it, he’d apologized “to all who suffered from my foolish mistake.”Choi was referring to the highly-publicized scandal, in which he was exposed for falsely claiming he had cancer and soliciting donations to fund his treatment, the Hollywood Reporter reported.Choi is perhaps most famous for competing on the 2011 season of “Korea’s Got Talent,” solidifying his spot in the finals with a knockout rendition of Ennio Morricone’s “Nella Fantasia” that reduced the judges to tears.The rising star wound up placing second behind lace behind dancer Joo Min-jungby with just 280 votes, per the Independent.However, the blossoming pop star’s spot resonated beyond the confines of the reality TV competition.
Footage of Choi’s performance quickly blew up online, garnering over 21 million views on YouTube, and earning him praise from pop icons such as Justin Bieber. “This is awesome,” the “Baby” singer wrote on Facebook, per the Daily Mail. “Never say never, and good luck to this kid.
Great story.”Choi also got signed to the label Korean label Bong Bong Company and penned a memoir chronicling his transformation from orphan to internet celebrity, which earned him comparisons to “Britain’s Got Talent” icon Susan Boyle.
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