K-pop star Wheesung found dead aged 43
Wheesung was found dead by police at his home in Seoul this week.
K-pop star Wheesung has been found dead at the age of 43.
The South Korean R'n'B artist's agency Tajoy Entertainment confirmed the singer's tragic passing on Monday (10.03.25).
Wheesung - whose real name was Choi Whee-sung – was found at his home in Seoul’s Gwangjin District in cardiac arrest and later pronounced dead.
No cause of death has been determined at this time and police reported no signs of foul play.
A spokesperson for the agency confirmed: “The artist Wheesung has left us. He was found in cardiac arrest at his residence and was later pronounced dead.”
The Korea Times reports that police entered his home at 6.30pm, after his mother raised a call to the emergency services.
Wheesung – who also went by the stage name Realslow – shot to prominence in the early 2000s and was known for his raw, soulful ballads, including ‘Even Thought of Marriage’ and ‘Luv Shine’.
He also had a hit in Korea with his cover of Craig David’s ‘Insomnia’.
The award-winning star also contributed to fellow K-pop acts TWICE's track ‘Dance the Night Away’ and Ailee's ‘Heaven’.
Despite his success and influence, Wheesung faced personal struggles and found himself facing the wrath of the law for drug use.
In 2013, he was accused of using the sedative propofol – which is used for general anesthesia – and claimed he took the drug to treat a herniated disk and hair loss. He was later cleared of the allegations.
On March 31, 2020, Wheesung was found passed out in a bathroom of a shopping mall in Seoul after using a similar drug called Etomidate.
He was found with a bag containing four syringes and five white vials. He was released by police but had the items confiscated, while the man who sold the drugs to Wheesung was arrested.
Days later, the singer was found collapsed in a bathroom of a hotel in Gwangjin District, Seoul, with a syringe and a glass bottle containing Etomidate.
in December 2019, he was charged for propofol use.
Wheesung pleaded guilty and received a sentence of one year in prison, probation for two years, 40 hours of community service, and 40 hours of drug treatment lectures.
