SEOUL, Nov 25 — Hairdresser Choi Jong-bum has set his Instagram account from public to private.
It is understood this is in response to the numerous death threats that he has received following the death of his ex-girlfriend Goo Hara yesterday.
“This f****** should have died instead. Why is an innocent person dying instead of him? He’s even less than a dog,” read a comment from an angry fan.
Others labelled him “a coward” and “a blackmailer”.
Yesterday, #Punish_Choi_Jong_Bum became the top hashtag trend on Twitter in South Korea.
Last year, the couple became embroiled in a revenge porn case, after a messy break-up, in which each accused the other of assault.
It is widely blamed for Goo’s attempted suicide in May.
Similarly, the Instagram account for his hair salon is now also private, with South Korean entertainment sites reporting that the business is closed for the moment as well.
Choi had previously received backlash for appearing to leverage on the controversy with Goo to promote his business through his social media.
Last September, Choi contacted news outlets over a video that he claimed would “end (Goo’s) entertainment career”.
Goo filed a lawsuit in response.
In August, he was given an 18-month suspended sentence with three years’ probation by a lower court on account of the threat and other forms of criminal behaviour.
Goo then filed an appeal in September for the Seoul District Court’s initial ruling that found him guilty of assault.
Choi, whose sentence involved crimes of property damages, physical assault, threats and unnecessary force, was not found guilty of sexual assault in the form of illegal footage filming.
The case led to intense online rumours and hate comments against Goo.
The former member of girl group Kara was found dead at her home in Seoul yesterday. She was 28.
The Seoul Police Department announced today that it has concluded there is no foul play in her death.
In recent weeks, fans had grown increasingly concerned about the state of Goo’s mental health after Sulli — another K-pop star and Goo’s close friend — took her own life following a long struggle with online bullying last month.
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