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| Jo Jun-ki, CEO of travel marketing agency followed by more than 2 million fans on social media, has been found unconscious after hinting at suicidal thoughts. Screengrab of his Instagram |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Jo Jun-ki, CEO of Travelholic, a travel marketing agency followed by more than 2 million fans on social media, is in hospital after an apparent suicide attempt, police said Tuesday.
This incident comes three days after he mistakenly uploaded a porn video on the firm's Instagram, angering many followers who called him to account.
According to police, Jo is receiving treatment after being found unconscious at his home in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, around 11 a.m.
"I don't want to be a burden on anyone anymore. So I'm going to take off to where I should be," he had written on his Instagram half an hour before police and firefighters arrived. "I feel terribly sorry to everyone ― my colleagues who are taking the flak for what I did, friends and my beloved family.
"I appreciate the support and encouragement that people gave me as a family, CEO, friend, and as a loved one. It's heartbreaking to leave without seeing them."
Jo and his company were thrust into the spotlight Saturday after people saw a porn video uploaded along with the pictures of a sheep farm in Pyeongchang on Travelholic's Instagram, which had 1.2 million followers.
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The company immediately deleted the post and apologized. "We deeply apologize for surprising and disappointing people with such an unpleasant clip and unprofessional management," it said.
But after many followers demanded a detailed explanation for what happened, the CEO admitted that he posted the video after downloading it from Twitter.
"I'm the person who uploaded today's post about the sheep farm," he said.
But Jo denied the allegations that he may have illegally filmed the video for himself
"I did not take the video. Also, the people in the video are all of the same genders," he said. "Regarding (the post), I will take accountability for illegally downloading the video, and resign from the CEO position as I have caused such damage to the company."
The company later issued another statement, saying it would formally file a complaint with police for an investigation.
On Sunday, Seoul Gangnam Police Station said it was looking into the case.
In 2014, Jo founded Travelholic as a Facebook page, which has grown into one of the largest travel marketing agencies in Korea. It attracted many followers on social media with awe-inspiring images of travel destinations and informative guides on tourist attractions.
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