Actress found dead, apparent suicide

A young actress was found hanged at her home in Songpa, eastern Seoul, yesterday in what appears to be the latest suicide to hit Korea’s entertainment community.

The body of 25-year-old Woo Seung-yeon, who played a supporting role in a recent movie called “Private Eye,” was first discovered by a friend, surnamed Ryu, at 7:40 p.m.

Her body was taken to the National Police Hospital located in the district.

Woo left an alleged suicide note in her diary, saying “I love my family. I am so sorry to leave early.”

Officers are investigating the exact circumstances behind Woo’s death. Fellow entertainers told police she was under extreme stress after unsuccessful auditions for new roles. She had been affiliated with management agency Yedang Entertainment last year but switched to Oracle Entertainment two months ago.

“The bereaved family does not want to comment on anything related to Woo for now,” said an official from Oracle, who requested anonymity. “We found out from her father that she has been suffering from depression.”

According to friends, the late actress was scheduled to resume her study at Chung-Ang University this fall after a leave of absence. She started her career as a model in a fashion magazine and TV commercials.

Several celebrities have committed suicide in recent months, though circumstances behind each are different.

Also yesterday, a 29-year-old woman who was trying to get into show business was prevented from killing herself at her home in Gangnam, southern Seoul. Police said that the woman, surnamed Park, attempted to hang herself after a phone call with an unidentified person.

By Jang Joo-young [smartpower@joongang.co.kr]