Kim Sung-jae

Biography

Kim Sung-jae (Korean: 김성재; April 18, 1972 – November 20, 1995) was a South Korean singer, rapper and dancer. He was best known as a member of Deux, an influential early K-pop and Korean hip hop group that gained fame in the early 1990s.
On November 20, 1995, Kim was found dead in a hotel room under suspicious circumstances at the age of 23. His girlfriend, identified only as Miss Kim, was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in prison but was later acquitted on appeal. In 2019, his girlfriend filed multiple injunctions to block SBS's investigative program I Want To Know from airing an episode covering his death.

Death

Several months after Deux disbanded, Sung-jae released his debut solo album, As I Told You, on November 19, 1995. He performed the album's title track the same day on an SBS music program and later returned to his hotel room with his girlfriend and members of his entourage. The following morning, he was found dead in his hotel room. Initial police reports attributed his death to a myocardial infarction (heart attack) caused by karoshi (overwork). However, an autopsy later revealed 28 needle marks on his right arm and traces of an animal anesthetic in his system.
Sung-jae's girlfriend was arrested, convicted of his murder, and sentenced to life in prison. However, she was later acquitted on appeal due to "lack of evidence."

Aftermath

In 2019, Kim's ex girlfriend filed multiple injunctions to prevent SBS from airing an episode of the investigative program I Want to Know that examined his death.
On September 7, 2022, a virtual avatar of Kim Sung-jae was unveiled by Persona Space and Galaxy Corporation. The avatar performed "As I Told You" during an event attended by Sung-jae's mother and brother.