Ha Ji Won’s actor-brother dies at age 33 after battling depression

​South Korean actor Jun Tae Soo, 33, younger brother of actress Ha Ji Won, died on January 21 after battling depression.

In a statement released by his agency Haewadal Entertainment, the agency revealed that Tae Soo had been receiving treatment for his depression for a long time, and was even getting better when news of his death broke.

While there were speculations that the actor took his own life, his agency has not responded to the rumours. They stated that Tae Soo’s family plans to hold a private funeral, and media was refrained from covering the event.

The 33-year-old actor debuted in 2007 with Korean drama Kid Gang, and gained public recognition for his role in KBS2’s historical drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal in 2010. Other dramas that he starred in include All My Love and The King’s Daughter, Soo Baek-hyang.

He once shared in a 2010 interview that “some actors find roles that fit them very quickly,” while others “take a long time,” but he is someone who “adapts when opportunities arise.” He also mentioned that he wishes to break free from his sister Ha Ji Won’s shadow, as she was already an acclaimed actress.

​Tae Soo was previously embroiled in a scandal in 2011, where he was arrested for assaulting a taxi driver and two policemen. He withdrew from All My Love as a result, and was replaced by actor Jin Yi Han.

According to Korea media reports, the 39-year-old actress will be the chief mourner for her brother’s funeral, and has stopped all promotional activities for the time being, including promotions for her new movie Manhunt that was originally scheduled to take place on January 22.

Ji Won’s father, Jeon Yoon Bok, had passed away in 2016 from heart failure. In these times of difficulty, worried fans flocked to the actress’ Instagram account to leave messages of condolence to comfort the actress.