Cha In-ha is the latest Korean celebrity to die suddenly – 3 things to know about the Surprise U member and K-drama star of Love with Flaws
Following the tragic deaths of Sulli (real name, Choi Jin-ri) and Goo Hara, just six weeks apart, rookie actor and Surprise U member Cha In-ha is the latest Korean celebrity to pass away suddenly.
The 27-year-old, whose real name is Lee Jae-ho, was discovered dead on Tuesday by his manager. While the details of his passing are unknown, his agency Fantagio (home to K-pop groups like Astro and Weki Meki and actor Seo Kang-joon) released a statement asking the public to refrain from speculation while the cause of death is being investigated.
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1. He was a cast member of Love with Flaws
Cha was starring in the currently airing romcom Love with Flaws, headlined by Oh Yeon-seo and Ahn Jae-hyun. He played bartender Joo Won-seok, one of Joo Seo-yeon’s (Oh Yeon-seo) three handsome brothers.
The K-drama is about Lee Kang-woo (Ahn Jae-hyun), a handsome and narcissistic man who was once ugly, and PE teacher Seo-yeon, who despises such men. Despite rocky beginnings, the couple finds happiness with each other after getting past their initial misunderstandings and prejudice.
2. He debuted in 2017 as a member of Suprise U
Debuting as a five-piece group comprised of Fantagio actors in 2017, the members of Surprise U were also able singers. Together with Kim Hyun-seo, Yoon Jeong-hyuk, Eun Hae-seong and Ji Geon-woo, the group released a mini album titled “I Do” in 2017, as well as the track Stay, off the soundtrack of webtoon Treinz.
Cha’s film debut was in the short film, You, Deep Inside of Me. Surprise U’s debut programme, Love Fever, was a romcom web drama about a group of boys and girls currently in-between jobs, who through a series of misunderstandings are mistaken as K-pop idols in the countryside.
The show starred label mates Choi Yoo-jung and Kim Do-yeon (of IOI and Weki Meki fame), Seo Kang-joon, and had a cameo by Ong Seong-wu (of Wanna One fame).
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3. He was slowly establishing himself as an actor
Cha starred in a total of seven dramas from 2017 to 2019, in supporting roles alongside acting heavyweights like Kim Yoo-jung (Love in the Moonlight) and Yoon Kyun-sang (The Doctors) in Clean with Passion for Now, Kim Sang-joong (Doctor Stranger) in the Korean remake of Japanese show The Banker, and Jang Hyuk (My Country) and Jung Ryeo-won (Medical Top Team) in cooking romcom, Wok of Love.
His other works include romcom Temperature of Love and sci-fi romance Are You Human?
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After Sulli and Goo Hara, Love with Flaws star Cha In-ha has been found dead, aged 27 – the third South Korean celebrity to suddenly pass away in less than two months