Pop singer Chae found dead in apparent suicide

Chae Dong-ha (photo), a former member of the pop music group SG Wannabe, was found dead at his home in Seoul Friday morning in an apparent suicide. He was 30.

Police said he was found to have hanged himself with a necktie hanging from a coat rack and had earphones connected to his cellphone on. “The rescue team went there when Chae’s manager called 911 after he didn`t answer the phone at 11 a.m.,” police said. “The team entered Chae`s house through the balcony and found him dead.”

Chae had no will and police say he might have dead Thursday night. Since his family wants an autopsy, police will conduct one Monday.

Chae’s manager Choi Do-shik told police, “He had suffered from depression and went to see a doctor regularly.”

Drugs for anxiety and insomnia were on the dinner table at his home. His doctor prescribed drugs for six days Monday but Chae went to the doctor again the next day to ask for drugs for an additional seven days, saying, “I lost the drugs while I was washing my car.”

Police said, however, “An overdose of the drugs found at his home did not directly lead to death.”

minki@donga.com kej09@donga.com