Sungbong Choi
최성봉
崔聖奉
Born(1990-02-18)18 February 1990
Seoul, South Korea
Died20 June 2023(2023-06-20) (aged 33)
Seoul, South Korea
GenresVocal, popera, classical crossover
Occupation(s)Artist, author
LabelsSony Music Entertainment, Bongbong Company
Choi Sung-bong
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationChoe Seongbong
McCune–ReischauerCh'oe Sŏngbong

Sungbong Choi (崔聖奉; 18 February 1990 – 20 June 2023) was a South Korean singer. After passing qualification examinations for elementary school and middle school, he graduated from the Dae-Jeon Art High School, and made his debut on the 2011 season of Korea's Got Talent. He was the first runner-up of the talent show.[1]

Early life

Sungbong Choi was born in Seoul and was abandoned at an orphanage when he was three. He ran away from the orphanage to escape physical abuse, took a bus to Daejeon, and started living in the red-light districts.[2] He approached Jeong-So Park for music lessons; Park agreed to teach him for free and helped get him support from the church and ChildFund Korea.[3][4]

Education

After passing elementary school and middle school through qualification examinations,[5] Choi graduated from Dae-Jeon Art High School, and went on to study at the Department of Cultural Art Management at Kyung-Hee Cyber University.[6][7]

During his troubled youth, Choi claimed he hid at a night school at age 14 to escape area gang members. He learned how to read and write and applied for qualification examinations to pass elementary and middle school and enter high school. With hopes of learning music and spending his school years with friends, he entered Dae-Jeon Art High School. To earn school tuition fee and private lesson fees, he worked at a delivery service, but suffered an injury while working. Choi thought about dropping out of high school, and his music teacher testified that he was often absent because of the underprivileged surroundings. He gained admission to Hanyang University, but due to financial difficulties, was unable to pursue undergraduate education. Instead, he spent his days working as a day laborer.

Career

Korea's Got Talent

On 6 June 2011, Choi's performance of Ennio Morricone's "Nella Fantasia" on Korea's Got Talent was received positively. He introduced himself as a manual laborer who had made a living selling gum and energy drinks for ten years. All three judges, Kolleen Park, Jang Jin and Song Yun-ah, were impressed enough with his vocal talent that Choi was advanced to the finals of the competition, finishing second by only 280 votes.

YouTube

Choi's performance clip was posted to YouTube and received praise from pop stars Justin Bieber, BoA, Jung-Hwa Um, several hundred thousand fans on Facebook, as well as political figures such as South Korea's former president Lee Myung-bak.. One version with English subtitles[8] had triggered international press interest, with claims that Choi was "the next Susan Boyle".[9][10] As of September 2020 the video has 175,078,474 views.

Controversy

On 4 June 2011, after his first appearance on the show, some people accused him of concealing the fact that he had graduated from art high school although he was rarely able to attend classes due to his financial situation and was said to have received his diploma out of pity.[11]

The KGT production team explained that "It was cut from the film during editing. He stated that he'd graduated from art high school at the second local tryout, and the judges, crews and hundreds of audience members heard that." KGT later broadcast the re-edited version including the statement.

Entertainment

After his appearance on KGT, other major entertainment companies persuaded Choi to sign contracts with them. Ultimately, he signed with Sony Music Korea Inc. but cancelled the contract in December 2011. Until his death, he was signed with Bongbong Company.[12]

Health issues

Choi claimed in January 2021 that he was suffering from cancer and raising funds to support his latest album. On 29 October 2021, Choi admitted to faking his cancer illness. In an apology released to Korean media, Choi stated, "I am not currently suffering from cancer and I admit that I am not suffering from colon, prostate, thyroid, lungs, brain, and heart cancer."[13]

Death

Choi died by suicide on 20 June 2023, after having left a suicide note on his online channel, which has since been taken down. He was 33.[14][15]

Music

Artistry – Crossover tenor

CNN commented that "His powerful baritone voice sounds as if it belongs to a man twice his age and build."[16]

Performances

  • Invitation performance by South Korean president, Charity performances and speeches
  • Invitation performance by chairman of Cisco [San Diego, United States, April 2012]
  • You Fest Main Final Concert (with Paul Potts) [Madrid, Spain, September 2012]
  • Singing the Korean National Anthem at the inaugural ceremony of London Olympics [Seoul, July–August 2012]
  • Conducting Chorus of Global Multicultural Festival [Seoul, May 2013]
  • Halftime performance at Suwon International Olympics "Peace cup" [Suwon, July 2012]
  • Teenager's Healing Concert by Ministry of Environment [Seoul, July 2012]
  • Singing the South Korean national anthem at the National Assembly on Constitution Day (with the Millennium Symphony) [Seoul, July 2012]
  • Andy – Live In Concert at the Greek Theatre [Los Angeles, United States, August 2012]
  • Accompanied Performance with Seoul Philharmonic

Album

  • Featuring Korea's Got Talent // Nella Fantasia, Cinema Paradiso [Sony Music] [2011]
  • Featuring Popera Vocalist Park Jung So Nella Fantasia // Nella Fantasia [2012]
  • Featuring Popera Vocalist Park Jung So Because He Lives // Amazing Grace [2012]

Essay

Choi wrote a book entitled Singing is My Life – Memoir of My Journey from Homelessness to Fame (published by Munhak Dongne, South Korea) about his life and career, which became a best seller.

Broadcasting and interviews

Outline

Choi appeared on music shows, documentary films, and talk shows both in South Korea and abroad. He appeared with Justin Bieber on the Spanish TV program El Hormiguero. CNN[16] and ABC[17] headlined the interview with him. Choi said that he wants to continue to overcome his experiences of the past 22 years. "It is a blessing that I can live my life without starving, being abused and freezing. I'll keep taking on challenges and trying my best."

Television shows and interviews

Korea's Got Talent season 1 [tvN, June 2011]

  • Live Talk Show Taxi [tvN, September 2011]
  • Back Ji-yeo'’s People inside [tvN, September 2011]
  • Documentary Film Rebel of 3 color talent [tvN, September 2011]
  • Story on Kind Ms. Mi-sun [tvN, November 2011]
  • Opera star 2012 [tvN, February 2012]
  • Morning Garden [KBS1, May 2012]
  • El Hormiguero [Antena3 (Spain), May 2012]
  • KBS Speech 100°C [KBS1, June 2012]
  • MBN News square [MBN, February 2013]

Magazine article features

  • Lady Kyunghyang [South Korea, 2011, 2013]
  • Korean Daily 100°C [South Korea, 2012]
  • Woman Sense [South Korea, 2013]
  • Woman's life [South Korea, 2013]

Advertisements

  • Public Advertisement for Election Committee [2012]
  • Radio Campaign "Wait a Minute" [MBC]
  • The Korea Highway Corporation "Belt Song"

Philanthropy

Honorary ambassador

Choi was an honorary ambassador of ChildFund Korea, the organization which helped him to improve his own life. He said that he won't just tell the children to "have hope and dream", but he wants to help them practically by giving them a chance of a better life. He was also an honorary ambassador of the Chang Dong Social Welfare Center.

Talent donation

Choi had said, "People who suffer have feelings that can't be explained by words. I hope my performances provide some consolation and an uplifting feeling to those in need." He performed for non privileged people, including single mothers, youths in juvenile custody, and hospice centers.

Awards

  • Semifinal Winner of Korea's Got Talent Season 1
  • 9th Candle Award by Pop Culture Critic of College Union
  • New Artist by Foreign Correspondents Club

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Street boy-turned-singer ends reality show journey as runner-up". Archived from the original on 28 February 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "Sungbong Choi - Susan Boyle of South Korea". Starworld. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Story of Sung-Bong Choi". sungbongchoidotcom.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Sungbongchoidot (1 July 2012), Jeong-So Park talks about meeting Sung-Bong Choi for the first time., archived from the original on 5 April 2017, retrieved 20 February 2017
  5. ↑ "한국 폴포츠 최성봉 '말과 글, 남보다 늦게 알았다'(사람이좋다)" [Paul Potts of Korea "Learnt how to read and write later on than most others]. Newsen. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "문화예술경영학과 13학번 새내기가 된 한국의 폴 포츠, 최성봉 학우" [Paul Potts of Korea becomes a freshman of Department of Culture and Arts Management 2013]. KHCU. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "Korean 'Paul Potts' will go to college next month". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "[Korea's Got Talent] tvN 코리아 갓 탤런트 Ep.1 Sung-bong Choi!!!.avi". Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013 – via www.youtube.com.
  9. ↑ Kim, Clara (7 June 2011). "The New Susan Boyle? 'Korea's Got Talent' Singer Puts Judges in Tears". Time. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  10. ↑ Usigan, Ysolt (7 June 2011). "The next Susan Boyle? Sung-bong Choi on 'Korea's Got Talent'". CBS News. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Korean Susan Boyle: 22-Year-Old Sung-Bong Choi Sings on Korea's Got Talent". Time. 27 May 2011. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  12. ↑ "The Official Website of Sungbong Choi". Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  13. ↑ "'대국민 사기극' 펼친 최성봉 "암 투병 중 아냐, 평생 뉘우치며 살겠다"". entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  14. ↑ "Korea Singer Choi Sung-bong Dies at 33". The Hollywood Reporter. 21 June 2023.
  15. ↑ "Singer Choi Sung-bong dies in apparent suicide". The Korea Times. 21 June 2023.
  16. 1 2 "Meet South Korea's answer to Susan Boyle". CNN. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  17. ↑ "Korea's 'Susan Boyle' Choi Sung-Bong's Overcomes Troubled Past". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
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