Actor Shin Ae-ra refutes death rumor: 'I'm alive and well'

Shin Ae-ra denies death rumor in video posted on Instagram. Captured from her Instagram

Actor Shin Ae-ra has responded to a false report about her death that recently circulated online.

Shin posted a video on social media on Saturday with a caption that read, “I’m alive.” In the video, she says, “I’m not dead. Someone I volunteer with called me crying, asking if I had really passed away. Why are people posting such baseless news?”

She continued, “It’s not just me. If you browse YouTube, many celebrities are supposedly dead. Please don’t believe it. If you see that kind of news, just search the person’s name.”

Fellow actress Yoon Yu-sun commented on Shin’s post, “Right. Several people asked me too. There’s so much fake news these days — we really need to train ourselves to tell truth from fiction.”

Netizens also left supportive messages for Shin.

Shin Ae-ra is not alone. A number of Korean celebrities have been forced to clarify that they are alive after becoming targets of fake death rumors.

Actress Ko Hyun-jung expressed her shock after learning of such rumors during a recent YouTube show appearance. When the host mentioned a “Ko Hyun-jung death rumor” that spread while she was on hiatus, she replied, “Did that really happen?”

She added, “I’m recovering well and in good health. No need to worry.” Ko had previously missed a press event for her drama “Namib” due to health concerns.

Comedian Park Joon-hyung also took to social media to respond, sharing a screenshot of a conversation with fellow comedian Nam Hee-seok, who had sent him a link to the false report. “I’m still alive and well,” Park wrote. “Thank you to everyone who messaged me with support.”

Comedian Shin Gi-ru shared a screenshot of a fake news post claiming she had died of a hypertension-induced shock. “I’ve let it slide when they said I’d die within ten years — I mean, who knows what could happen,” she said. “But this is just too much.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.