Kim Jong-seok, South Korean model dies aged 29

Dubai: Kim Jong-seok, a South Korean model and actor has died aged 29. His cause of death is unknown.

On June 5, an acquaintance of Jong-seok shared the news on social media when he wrote a tribute post for the late model.

“My bro, my heart shattered into pieces when I was informed that you were gone. I still can’t believe that I’ll never be able to see your smiling face again for all the days I live. You may no longer be with us, but please know that you were a great gift to this world, and I will always cherish you close in my heart. I’ll miss you. I’ll always love you,” he said.

Media outlets in South Korea reported that the model and Skip Dating alum, died on June 4 and the funeral was held on June 6.

Kim Jong-seok was a well-known model who began his career in 2014 when he modelled for an online shopping mall, and then modelled for a cosmetic brand, DASHU. In 2022 he appeared on the dating reality program, Skip Dating, hosted by Yoo Jae-suk, Jeon so-min and Nuksal.

On June 6, Jong-seok’s family stepped forward to address the malicious rumours surrounding the late model’s death.

His older sister took to his social media account to address people and make a plea. She said, “We are in the middle of funeral preparations, overwhelmed and heartbroken. But I’m seeing so many baseless and false claims spreading across online communities. At first, we chose not to respond, hoping Jong-seok could rest in peace. But now, it has gone too far.”

“I’ve requested the removal of these articles. We will soon release a summary of the police recording and a statement from the friend who was with him at the time.”

Fans were left shocked and shared heartfelt messages for him online, despite his Instagram account being switched to a private account, after his family’s request.