Rising Celebrity Death Rumors Spark Outrage in South Korea

The alarming trend of unfounded death rumors surrounding celebrities has reached a new level of absurdity. On June 27, SBS's program 'Curious Story Y' highlighted the distressing reality faced by stars plagued by these baseless claims. Notably, young trot sensation Kim Da-hyun (김다현) and her father, Kim Bong-gon (김봉곤), appeared on the show to express their frustration after a fake news video claiming Kim Da-hyun's death circulated on YouTube. A fan even mourned her supposed passing, prompting Kim's team to finally acknowledge the existence of the rumor.

Adding to the bizarre situation, Kim Bong-gon had previously been the target of similar death rumors. Their experiences are just the tip of the iceberg. Actress Shin Ae-ra (신애라) also had to post a video on social media stating, "I am alive" to dispel the rumors.

The source of these troubling rumors is YouTube, where channels dedicated to celebrity death hoaxes have proliferated, with over 150 confirmed cases of such misinformation. Fans often leave condolence messages on these videos, leading to situations where the celebrities themselves must confirm their survival, as seen with stars like Ko Hyun-jung (고현정), Lee Si-young (이시영), and Jang Dong-gun (장동건).

Some celebrities have even suffered financial repercussions. Singer Tae Jin-ah (태진아) recounted how an event organizer canceled his appearance after mistakenly believing he had died due to a death hoax video. He expressed his anger, stating, "I have died multiple times. They say Sunwoo Yongnyeo (선우용녀) is dead, and so are Lee Soon-jae (이순재) and Nam Jin (남진). This needs to be eradicated completely."

The situation has escalated with the use of AI technology to generate these malicious rumors indiscriminately. Unverified information, sensational headlines, and malicious content are transforming living celebrities into deceased figures.

In response, the producers of 'Curious Story Y' stated, "These fake death videos have crossed the line. To those hiding behind these false videos, know that you are committing a serious crime by trampling on someone's life, and your identity will soon be revealed." They emphasized that reporting these videos is the best course of action.