Apparent Suicide of Actor-Turned-Businessman Shocks Nation
Published on | Source
Ahn Jae-hwan, an actor-turned-businessmen who married comedian Jung Sun-hee late last year, was found dead on Monday. Police presume the 36-year old committed suicide at least 10 days ago. He was found in a Carnival minivan in an alley in a residential area in Nowon-gu, Seoul on Monday morning by a truck driver identified as Yeo (28) who was delivering beverages to nearby stores.
Yeo was quoted as saying his suspicion was alerted some three weeks ago, when he saw a man sleeping in the Carnival every morning. The morning of the discovery, he was able to see inside because of the bright sunlight and noticed that the man's leg had turned black. He called the police.
Nowon Police in Seoul say they have tentatively concluded that Ahn killed himself. He was found sitting in the center back seat, with his feet stretching toward the front of the car.
Police found two burnt charcoal briquettes on an iron plate in the car. Police presume that Ahn died from smoke inhalation. There was a three-page suicide note on the right-hand seat, but police declined to disclose the details without consent from the family.
Police presume that Ahn died at least 10 days ago, based on his parents' claim that they lost contact with him 15 days before, the witness testimony, and the state of decomposition of his body.
Ahn had reportedly been in financial difficulties. He recently stopped acting and went into business in film production, cosmetics and bars. Last year, he planned to make a film by establishing an entertainment agency but later gave up due to difficulties raising the necessary funds before the shoot even started.
A TV industry insider said Ahn "wanted to succeed in business rather than in acting. He was too proud to talk about his difficulties".
There have also been rumors of marital problems, but those close to the couple deny this. After questioning at Nowon Police Station, Jung fainted and was taken to hospital. Celebrities including actress Choi Jin-sil and friends keep coming to visit the funeral parlor to pay their respects to the late actor.
Yeo was quoted as saying his suspicion was alerted some three weeks ago, when he saw a man sleeping in the Carnival every morning. The morning of the discovery, he was able to see inside because of the bright sunlight and noticed that the man's leg had turned black. He called the police.
Nowon Police in Seoul say they have tentatively concluded that Ahn killed himself. He was found sitting in the center back seat, with his feet stretching toward the front of the car.
Police found two burnt charcoal briquettes on an iron plate in the car. Police presume that Ahn died from smoke inhalation. There was a three-page suicide note on the right-hand seat, but police declined to disclose the details without consent from the family.
Police presume that Ahn died at least 10 days ago, based on his parents' claim that they lost contact with him 15 days before, the witness testimony, and the state of decomposition of his body.
Ahn had reportedly been in financial difficulties. He recently stopped acting and went into business in film production, cosmetics and bars. Last year, he planned to make a film by establishing an entertainment agency but later gave up due to difficulties raising the necessary funds before the shoot even started.
A TV industry insider said Ahn "wanted to succeed in business rather than in acting. He was too proud to talk about his difficulties".
There have also been rumors of marital problems, but those close to the couple deny this. After questioning at Nowon Police Station, Jung fainted and was taken to hospital. Celebrities including actress Choi Jin-sil and friends keep coming to visit the funeral parlor to pay their respects to the late actor.
Advertisement