Troubled South Korean rapper Iron found dead outside an apartment block in Seoul
- The 28-year-old, who owed his fame to a TV hip-hop talent contest, released one album, Rock Bottom, that controversially included a track about a rape fantasy
- He was given suspended prison sentences for drug use and assaulting a girlfriend, and last month was reported to have attacked a minor with a baseball bat
South Korean rapper Iron was found dead in Seoul on Monday.
The 28-year-old singer, who was born Chung Heon-chul, was taken to hospital after being discovered bleeding outside a Seoul apartment building by the building’s staff.
He was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital and police are investigating the cause of his death.
Police told South Korean media outlet Dispatch that it was not clear whether Chung had committed suicide.
Chung rose to fame as a contestant on the South Korean hip-hop competition show Show Me the Money 3 in 2014, but his reputation had been tarnished by convictions for violent assault and drug use.
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In 2018, he was sentenced to eight months in prison for physically abusing a girlfriend in 2016, although the sentence was ultimately suspended. Late last year he was fined more than US$4,500 for spreading false rumours relating to the former girlfriend.
Last month, it was reported that he had attacked an 18-year-old with a baseball bat. The teenager – a minor in South Korea where the age of adulthood is 19 – was living with him, ostensibly to learn about music.
Iron had also been sentenced to eight months’ jail in 2016 for previous marijuana use. Again, his sentence was suspended.
The rapper released his first, and only, EP, Rock Bottom, in 2016. One track on the album, Roll, caused controversy for seemingly depicting a rape fantasy.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255
