“Was he preparing for it”— Fan concerns mount over Song Jae-rim’s “The start of long vacation” Instagram bio amid his reports of death by suicide

On Tuesday, November 12, South Korean actor Song Jae-rim was reported to have passed away at the age of 39. The police noted that there were no signs of foul play or other criminal activity at the scene. He was found dead in his apartment in his Seongdong-gu apartment at around 12:30 PM KST by a friend he had invited for lunch that day.

The police are speculating that the cause of death might be suicide, particularly in the light of a two-page alleged suicide note found at the scene. Following these reports, fans discovered more hints suggesting that the actor might have pre-planned his suicide. This was speculated through his Instagram bio, which read the message:

"The start of a long vacation"

Additionally, the actor disabled the comments section under all his posts, which led fans to wonder if he was probably preparing for his death. One fan reacting to Song Jae-rim's Instagram bio wrote:

"he.....was he preparing for it...."

Several netizens shared their take on the matter.

"2 pages of suicide notes... this is so unbelievably heartbreaking." said a fan on X

"another person in the korean entertainment industry lost to suicide... this is so awful" commented a netizen

"he must have been tired of the long journey. rest in peace actor Song Jaerim" added another netizen

More fans and netizens talked about the actor's death and the alleged note he left behind through his Instagram.

"Broken hearted right now. Rest in peace Song Jaerim" stated a fan

"He posted hints in his IG bio. I felt so sad not just because of his sudden passing but also because he have left his furbabies too." added an X user

"another k celebrity lost to suicide this is so sad. he may rest in peace now" said a netizen on X

"he must have been so lonely and exhausted" added another fan

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All you need to know about South Korean actor Song Jae-rim, who passed away at 39

Song Jae-rim began his career in 2009 with his debut in the film Actresses and gained fame through his performance in the 2013 historical K-drama The Moon Embracing the Sun. Before becoming an actor, he also worked as a model.

As a runway model, Song Jae-rim participated in the Seoul collections of Juun. J, Herin Homme, and Ha Sang-beg. He appeared in several magazines, including Dazed Korea, Bazaar Korea, Esquire Korea, Marie Claire Korea, etc. Some of his famous works as an actor include Secret Garden, Two Weeks, Goodbye Mr. Black, My Military Valentine, Big Man, and more.

Most recently, he starred in the web series Queen Woo, which was released in August 2024. Additionally, he participated in the musical production La Rose de Versailles, where he played Florian Victor Clement de Gerodelle. The musical ran at the Chungmu Arts Hall from July 2024 to October 2024.

In 2014, Song Jae-rim was nominated for three categories at the KBS Drama Awards—Best New Actor, Popularity Award: Actor, and Best Couple Award for his work with Lee Ha-na in Unkind Ladies. Additionally, he won the Best Male Newcomers and Best Couple Awards with Kim So-eun for We Got Married at the 2014 MBC Entertainment Awards.

He received more nominations in 2016 and 2018 at the SBS Drama Awards for his work in Our Gap-soon and Secret Mother. Among these, he won the Special Acting Award: Actor in Serial Drama for Our Gap-soon in 2016.

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Following the loss of this talented and diverse actor, many fans and netizens have been mourning Song Jae-rim's recent death.