K-drama actor Song Jae-rim dies at 39

SEOUL – South Korean actor Song Jae-rim, who acted in blockbuster television dramas, including The Moon Embracing The Sun (2012), died on Nov 12 at the age of 39.

According to Seoul Seongdong Police Station, he was found dead at his home in Seoul by a friend who was planning to have lunch with him on Nov 12.

“Currently, there is no evidence of foul play,” said an official from the police station. Yonhap News Agency said a note was found at the scene.

Song’s wake is being held at the Yeouido St Mary’s Funeral Hall in Seoul.

The actor had recently changed his Instagram profile message to “A long journey begins”.

His last Instagram post dated back to Jan 23, with his activity on X – formerly Twitter – ceasing in March.

Born in 1985, he gained widespread recognition through his debut in the period drama series The Moon Embracing The Sun.

Following his breakout role, he appeared in several TV dramas, including Two Weeks (2013), Goodbye Mr Black (2016), Secret Mother (2018) and I Wanna Hear Your Song (2019).

He gained more recognition after appearing in the fourth season of reality show We Got Married (2014) with South Korean actress Kim So-eun in 2014. They went on to star in the TV series Our Gap-soon (2016).

Most recently, Song performed on stage in the musical La Rose De Versailles, and his last performance was on Oct 13.

He also starred in TV series My Military Valentine (2024) and appeared in web series Queen Woo (2024).

South Korean celebrities such as actors Hong Seok-cheon and Park Ho-san and actress Yoo Sun mourned Song on social media.

Posting a photo of them together, Hong, 53, wrote: “I’m sad that I won’t be able to see your wonderful smile again. I’m devastated that I have to send you off without saying goodbye.”

Song’s funeral will be held on Nov 14, with the service scheduled for noon. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK