South Korean actor Jung Eun-woo dies at 39 after cryptic message on Instagram

South Korean actor Jung Eun-woo, who appeared in popular Korean dramas like Welcome To Waikiki 2 and Bride Of The Sun, died on Wednesday (Feb 11) at the age of 39. 

While the cause of death has not been disclosed, the news comes after Jung left behind a cryptic message on an Instagram post on Feb 10. He shared an Instagram carousel post with images of the late Hong Kong actor-singer Leslie Cheung, who died in 2003, British singer Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011, and ended the carousel with a photo of himself, using Winehouse's song, Back To Black. The post was captioned, “Missing jealous sorry... PIR.BG.”

Many have speculated that “PIR.BG” could be an abbreviation. When read backwards, it is viewed as “GB.RIP” which could stand for “Goodbye. Rest in peace”, leading many fans to believe it might have been a message from the actor.

Jung's penultimate post is also catching attention. With a photo of a red moon, the post was cryptically captioned: “Red moon. Whether it’s hanging there or suspended, it’s going to fall anyway…”

Tributes have poured in from friends and colleagues of the actor. Pop artist Nancy Lang commented, “Eun-woo! I just heard the news. I didn't even know these photos were a signal the day before. My heart hurts so much and I’m so sad. I feel numb. Why... was it that difficult? Rest in peace in heaven, Eun-woo. My deepest condolences.”

South Korean actress Kim Yoon-seo paid tribute to the actor in an Instagram post, captioned: “Eun-woo. Hello. Sorry. I let you go like this without even saying goodbye properly. Today I am heartbroken all day long. But when I think of the times you've endured, I don’t think I can just cry. You've been through a lot. I'll pray for you. Goodbye, my friend.”

Fans have also flooded the actor’s comment section with tributes and heartfelt messages. One fan said in English: “He was definitely saying goodbye. May his soul rest in eternal peace.” Another fan commented in Korean: “Eun-woo, you worked hard. Rest in peace, my friend.” 

Born on Apr 10, 1986, Jung initially played basketball in middle and high schools but changed his career path to later pursue acting. He then made his acting debut in 2006, with Drama City’s episode titled A Parting More Beautiful Than Love. He gained recognition for his roles in One Well-Raised Daughter, The Return of Hwang Geum-bok and My Only One. The 2021 film, Memory: Manipulated Murder, became his final work.

Jung's funeral is scheduled to take place on Thursday (Feb 12) afternoon.