He was the nameless child, who abandoned by his parents at three, spent a decade living rough on the seedy back alleys of a red light district before taking the world by storm on Korea’s Got Talent to become a K-pop sensation.
Dubbed ‘Korea’s answer to Susan Boyle’, 33-year-old opera singer Choi Sung-bong’s life is one of scrappy determination, laced with abandonment and heartbreak.
When he appeared on Korea’s Got Talent in 2011, he shot to superstardom after clinching runner-up – counting Canadian pop icon Justin Bieber among his fans.
It was a far cry from the homeless 10-year-old who used to sell gum and energy drinks laced with fake Viagra on the streets of South Korea’s fifth biggest city of Daejeon to survive.
But a decade after his rise to fame, and Choi found himself in the grips of controversy after lying about having cancer and begging fans to donate cash for his ‘treatment’ during an infamous scam that went viral.
And on Tuesday, the news broke that opera star had been found dead, apparently having taken his own life in the tragic final chapter of his rags-to-riches story.
Choi Sung-bong rose from the nameless child, abandoned by his parents and left to fend for himself as a homeless child, to becoming a Korean singing sensation
Choi rose to fame on Korea’s Got Talent on tvN in 2011 (pictured), before signing a record deal with Bong Bong Company
But tragically, on Tuesday, his body was found by police at his home in Seoul after having apparently taken his own life
Unloved, Choi’s parents dumped him at an orphanage when he was just three. Heartbreakingly, this was only the beginning of a childhood wrought with suffering and loneliness.
He was never told his name at the orphanage – which, far from a safe sanctuary, saw him being beaten and abused.
At the age of five, Choi fled, boarding a bus with no idea where he was going or how he would survive.
He arrived at the seedy red light district of Daejeon, about 100 miles from the South Korean capital of Seoul. For the next decade, he would call the streets, bars and nightclubs his home, sleeping in public toilets and rundown buildings.
Homeless and forgotten, Choi would scavenge food from bins. Unable to read or write, the plucky youngster attempted to carve a living selling gum and energy drinks.
But he was regularly beaten by drunks in the street, who would pour booze down the defenceless lad’s throat. And his meagre earnings were often stolen by gangsters.
During his harrowing decade of neglect on the streets of Daejeon, Choi was stabbed, runover, and once was almost buried alive by thugs associated with the black-market trade of organs.
In a devastatingly raw interview with ABS News, Choi recounted how nobody cared for him as a boy and that even when he fell from an overpass, he was never taken to hospital.
Between the ages of five and 14, a homeless Choi would live out on the streets in the seedy red light district of Daejeon
Homeless and forgotten, Choi would scavenge food from bins. He would also be beaten by local gang members who controlled the streets of the sprawling metropolis
Unable to read or write, a plucky young Choi attempted to carve a living selling gum and energy drinks
‘I went to the pharmacy and plastered bandages around it, just waited to heal. I didn’t know what a hospital was nor did,’ he said.
‘I just had to do anything to sell my stuff and not starve. Like faking a smile or making a fool out of myself.’
Choi had been nameless until the age of 14 when, by chance, a woman working in a market named him Ji Sung.
It was only later, when she encouraged him to search through records of his former orphanage, that he discovered his full name.
Ji Sung’s kindness to a teenage Choi turned his life around. She helped educate him, and he eventually took Korea’s GCSE equivalent – passing them, despite having never once attended school.
His first step on his road to becoming a singing sensation came when he spotted an advert for music lessons by college student, Park Jung-So.
Penniless and having loved listening to the singers at nightclubs he slept outside of, Choi boldly asked for free lessons. In exchange, he would do chores for his tutor, who later helped him get into art school.
Choi had been nameless until the age of 14 when, by chance, a woman working in a market named him Ji Sung.
South Korean pop star Choi Sung-bong has been found dead by an apparent suicide at the age of 33
Choi’s big break came on Korea’s Got Talent on tvN aged 22 in 2011, before signing a record deal with Bong Bong Company.
He left judges in floods of tears by his story and captured the imagination of the world. The video of his audition has been viewed millions of times.
Choi came in second place in the competition with his operatic performance of Ennio Morricone’s Nella Fantasia, which gained over 21 million views on YouTube. The clip of his performance also received praise from stars such as Justin Bieber, BoA and Jung-Hwa Umwho.
Bieber wrote on Facebook at the time: ‘This is awesome. Never say never, and good luck to this kid. Great story.’
At the time he was hailed by media outlets as being Korea’s answer to Susan Boyle.
The news of Choi’s sudden death comes two years after he was exposed for lying that he had multiple forms of cancer and asking fans to donate cash for his treatment.
After it was revealed to be a hoax, he apologised and promised to return any donations.
Choi’s emotional audition for Korea’s Got Talent in 2011 aged 22 moved the judges to tears
He left judges in floods of tears by his story and captured the imagination of the world. The video of his audition has been viewed millions of times. He is pictured in the final of Korea’s Got Talent
Choi came in second place in the competition with his operatic performance of Ennio Morricone’s Nella Fantasia, which gained over 21 million views on YouTube and received praise from the likes ofJustin Bieber
And on Tuesday morning, two years after the scandal, Choi’s body was found by police at his home in the Yeoksam-dong district of Seoul, according to The Korea Times.
It comes just two years after he was exposed for lying about having multiple types of cancer and asking fans to donate cash for his treatment. He later apologised for the deception.
Police believe that he died by suicide due to a note he posted on his YouTube channel the day before his death in which he apologised for his ‘foolish mistakes’.
In it, he thanked his fans for their support of his career, writing: ‘From 2011 to the present, I have been receiving attention and love from so many people. I sincerely thank you and express my gratitude.’
He went on to apologise for the 2021 scam: ‘I am sincerely sorry for my foolish mistakes and those who have suffered damage, and I have repeatedly made mistakes.
‘For the past two years, we have returned all those who have asked for a return of donations.
Choi also wrote a memoir after his rise to fame, exploring his impoverished upbringing
‘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.
‘I have no regrets about the journey of life that I have lived brilliantly. I have lived to the best of my ability and tried to have happiness every day.
‘I am sincerely sorry to the many people who have been harmed because of me… I’m sorry to the many people who helped me.’
After his stint on the talent show, he released a number of singles, including Slowcoach in 2016, Tonight in 2021 and I PRAY in 2022.
Choi also wrote a memoir after his rise to fame, exploring his impoverished upbringing and telling how he dropped out of music school due to financial worries.
In a YouTube video shared on his official page in August of 2020, Choi opened up about his struggles with fame, telling fans: ‘Psychologically I could not have courage to do YouTube,’ though he thanked his supporters for ‘giving me a reason to live’.
If you are struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, you can contact The Samaritans helpline 24/7 on 116 123 for help and support.
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