Kim Sung-jae's Death: 30th Anniversary Documentary in Development

As the 30th anniversary of the tragic death of singer Kim Sung-jae approaches, questions surrounding his untimely demise continue to linger. A documentary focusing on the case is currently in preparation, raising hopes that it may finally shed light on the circumstances of his passing.

According to reports from OSEN on November 21, 2024, producer Bae Jeong-hoon is working on a documentary related to the death of Kim Sung-jae. Last March, OSEN revealed that Bae Jeong-hoon, alongside a writer from the show '그알' (Gurahl), planned to release a three-part series on an OTT platform addressing the Kim Sung-jae case. Recently, Bae stated, "We are preparing to release the documentary in time for the 30th anniversary, and we hope it will be made public."

Kim Sung-jae, who gained immense popularity as part of the male duo Dues, had his solo debut performance on November 19, 1995, on SBS's '생방송 TV가요 20' (Live TV Music 20) following the group's disbandment. However, just a day later, he was found dead in his hotel room, shocking the public at the young age of 23.

While the police initially speculated that he died of a heart attack, an autopsy revealed the presence of the animal anesthetic zolethine in his system, leading to his girlfriend, referred to as A, being considered a suspect in the case. Although A was sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial, she was acquitted in the second and final trials due to insufficient evidence. Consequently, Kim's death was classified as an unexplained case, leaving many questions unanswered.

In August 2019, Bae Jeong-hoon planned to air a segment on the Kim Sung-jae case on SBS's '그것이 알고싶다' (I Want to Know That). However, a court granted a request for a broadcasting ban from A, preventing the episode from airing. Despite a second attempt to broadcast the segment in December of the same year, another request for a ban was accepted, resulting in the show being pulled again.

Nevertheless, Bae Jeong-hoon has continued to investigate the mystery surrounding Kim Sung-jae's death. In 2020, he mentioned on the '그알' YouTube channel that the challenges posed by the broadcasting bans had strengthened his research.

As cases that were difficult to cover on traditional media have begun to surface on OTT platforms, there is renewed interest in the Kim Sung-jae case, with many hoping that it will be revisited in this new format. Bae Jeong-hoon has expressed optimism about the documentary's release on an OTT platform, and anticipation is building for its debut next year, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Kim Sung-jae's passing.