Choi Sung-bong (1990–2023) was a South Korean singer. He is best known for his performance on ‘Korea’s Got Talent’ in 2011. In 2023, he died after committing suicide at the age of 33.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Choi Sung-bong was born on Sunday, February 18, 1990 (age 33 at the time of death) in Seoul, South Korea. Their zodiac sign is Aquarius. When he was three years old, he was abandoned to an orphanage in Seoul. He faced physical abuse in the orphanage. To escape physical abuse, he ran away from his orphanage to Daejeon at the age of 5 and lived in red-light districts. In an interview, he revealed that when he was 14, he hid in a night school to escape from gang members in the area. He studied at Dae-jeon Art High School in Daejeon, South Korea. When he was studying in school, he went to a delivery service to pay his school fees and private lessons. While studying in school, he developed an interest in singing and asked Jeong-soo Park, a singing guru, to teach him music, and Park agreed to become his teacher without charging him any fees. Park also helped them receive aid from the church and ChildFund Korea.
Choi Sung-bong with his music teacher, Jeong-soo Park
He had the opportunity to study at Hanyang University; However, due to financial problems he could not pursue graduation. To earn money, he sold gum and energy drinks in nightclubs for ten years. Later, he studied at the Department of Cultural Arts Management at Kyung-Hee Cyber University.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 8″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
He was an orphan, and not much is known about his family.
livelihood
singer
In 2011, Choi Sung-bong participated in tvN’s reality TV show ‘Korea’s Got Talent’, where she performed Ennio Morricone’s song ‘Nella Fantasia’. His performance impressed all the judges and the audience.
After her performance was uploaded to YouTube, she was praised by many musicians including Justin Bieber, BoA and Jung Hwa-um. He reached the finals of the competition and became the first runner-up of the show. Reportedly, the international press called her “the next Susan Boyle” after watching Choi’s performance with English subtitles. After gaining popularity on ‘Korea’s Got Talent’, he was approached to sign contracts with several entertainment companies. Later, he founded Sony Music Korea Inc. signed a contract with; However, he decided to cancel the contract in December 2011. He was managed by Bongbong Company until his death in 2023.
tv show
He appeared in several TV shows, including tvN’s ‘Baek Ji-yo’s People Inside’ in 2011, KBS1’s ‘Morning Garden’ in 2012, and MBN’s News Square in 2013.
events
Choi Sung-bong had performed at many events and charity functions. In 2012, he performed at the U Fest Main Final Concert in Madrid, Spain. That same year, she sang the Korean national anthem at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in Seoul. In July 2012, she performed at the Teenagers Healing Concert by the Ministry of Environment in Seoul. In August 2012, he performed Andy – Live in Concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
controversies
hid details of his education
On June 4, 2011, after appearing for the first time on ‘Korea’s Got Talent’, some individuals accused her of hiding the fact that she graduated from an art high school. However, it was mentioned that he faced financial difficulties and was unable to attend classes regularly. Some reportedly claimed that they received their diplomas out of sympathy. The production team of KGT clarified that the information about his graduation from art high school was removed from the film during the editing process. However, he mentioned his graduation during the second local tryouts, where judges, crew members, and a large audience were present to hear it. Later, KGT aired a modified version of the show that included his statement about graduating from art high school.
fake health problem
In January 2021, Choi announced that he was battling cancer and raising funds to support his latest album. On 29 October 2021, he confessed that he was faking his cancer diagnosis. A news agency released his apology in which he said,
I sincerely and deeply apologize for causing social upheaval and great disappointment regarding the controversy over the authenticity of ‘Choi Seong-bong’s false cancer battle’ reported in the media. All diagnoses of thyroid cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, lung, liver and kidney metastases, except major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, are false.
award
- 9th Candle Awards by College Union’s Pop Culture Critics
- New Artists by Foreign Correspondents Club
Death
On 20 June 2023, he committed suicide at his home after posting a message on his YouTube channel.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Choi Sung-bong was featured in several magazines, including Korean Daily 100°C (2012), Woman Sense (2013), and Woman’s Life (2013).
- In 2016, she published a book titled ‘Singing is My Life: Memoir of My Journey from Homelessness to Fame’. In the book he wrote about his life and career and the book became a best seller.
Cover of the 2016 book ‘Singing is My Life – Memoir of My Journey from Homelessness to Fame’
- He followed a non-vegetarian diet.
Choi Sung-bong eating his meatless meal
- He occasionally consumes alcohol.
Choi Sung-bong’s Facebook post about Masi Wine
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn