A prominent South Korean model and TV star died last week, sparking rumours over the circumstances of his passing.

Kim Jong Suk, 29, passed away on June 4 amid reports that a man in his 20s plunged from atop a high-rise apartment block in the city of Hanam, Gyeonggi province, after an altercation with his girlfriend in which a glass bottle was smashed.

Those reports triggered rumours the reality TV contestant took his own life after the bitter argument to avoid dealing with police.

His family confirmed the model had passed away on June 6 when he was laid to rest, but gave no details of his death.

However, his sister took to social media to condemn those sharing rumours that Suk had assaulted his girlfriend, writing: ‘The false information spreading online is causing our family immense pain.’

In a lengthy post three days later, she issued a rejection of the circulating rumours, instead declaring that her brother was left reeling after falling victim to an investment scam.

‘The claims that he barged into his girlfriend’s home drunk, caused a disturbance with a soju bottle, and jumped when the police arrived are not true.

‘He was under extreme financial and emotional distress due to an investment scam committed by an acquaintance.

‘Not only did he lose his entire fortune, but he also fell into debt from the fraud, making daily life difficult. He was exhausted from these circumstances and had been deep in thought for some time.’
Suk began his career as a model for various fashion brands and garnered notoriety in South Korea after a promotional video he appeared in for men’s cosmetic brand Dashu went viral.

As his profile grew, he took part in a series of the popular South Korean reality TV show ‘Skip Dating’, which sees eight ‘busy, modern young men and women’ paired up for a single blind date to see if any sparks fly.

In the days prior to his death, Suk reportedly shared regular updates on social media, but his family opted to make all of his accounts private in the wake of his passing.

In her post on Monday, Suk’s sister went on to clarify that an argument had indeed taken place between Suk and his girlfriend, but insisted that no assault took place.

‘Jong Suk and his girlfriend were drinking separately with their own acquaintances. When he couldn’t reach her, he became worried and went to her home with a friend.

‘Later, when his girlfriend woke up, there was no unilateral assault or rampage — just a simple argument between the couple.

‘As others tried to intervene and tensions seemed to rise, Jong Suk’s friend broke a soju bottle in an attempt to stop the argument, which led to the police being called.

‘Claims that he ran away or tried to avoid the police are also untrue.

The sister said she would later release messages sent by Suk to his girlfriend and audio recordings of his discussion with police at a later date.

She also said the family would pursue legal action against news sites and social media accounts spreading false rumours around his death.