Nineteen years have passed since the late actress Jung Da Bin shocked the public with her untimely death, yet her story continues to resurface due to the tragic circumstances and controversies that followed. Jung Da Bin was found dead on February 10, 2007, in the bathroom of her boyfriend’s apartment in Samseong-dong, Gangnam, Seoul. She was only 26 years old at the time.

Initially, suspicions of foul play were raised. However, police concluded the case as a suicide after finding no signs of external injury and considering the boyfriend’s statement that he had brought Jung home while she was heavily intoxicated, only to discover she had passed away later. Despite this conclusion, Jung’s family strongly opposed the ruling and repeatedly called for a reinvestigation. They pointed out that she had left no suicide note, was preparing for a new drama scheduled to begin filming just two months later, had a dermatology appointment booked days ahead, and was planning a trip to Southeast Asia with comedian Jung Sun Hee.

An autopsy was eventually conducted at the family’s request, but the National Forensic Service again concluded that there was no evidence of homicide, reaffirming suicide as the official cause of death. Although no note was found, Jung had posted a cryptic message titled “Just In Time” on her personal mini-homepage just one day before her death, which many later interpreted as a hint of emotional distress.

The controversy deepened when Jung Da Bin’s mother appeared on tvN’s program Reconstruction of a Scandal in 2009, openly stating that she could not accept the conclusion that her daughter had taken her own life. She even requested a spiritual medium session, saying she felt compelled as a mother to uncover the truth behind what she believed was an unjust death. During the broadcast, the medium claimed to channel Jung’s spirit, making statements suggesting confusion and denying intentional suicide. The episode sparked backlash over accusations of disrespecting the deceased, though the network defended the broadcast, citing the mother’s desperate longing to understand her daughter’s death.

Further shock followed in 2011, four years after Jung’s passing, when news broke that her mother had held a symbolic “spirit marriage” ceremony. The ritual was reportedly meant to comfort Jung’s soul, as she had died unmarried, and involved pairing her with an unmarried man born in 1975 chosen by her mother.

Born on March 4, 1980, Jung Da Bin began her acting career in the early 2000s, appearing in dramas such as Sweet Bride and Soonpoong Clinic before officially debuting through Money.com. She gained widespread attention after portraying the younger version of Choi Jin Sil’s character in the film The Legend of Gingko, earning the nickname “Little Choi Jin Sil.” Her popularity soared through sitcoms like New Nonstop and Nonstop 3, followed by notable roles in films and dramas including He Was Cool, Cats on the Roof, My 19 Year Old Sister-in-Law, and That Summer’s Typhoon. Her appearance in Baek Ji Young’s 2006 music video “I Won’t Love” ultimately became her final project, as she passed away before beginning her next planned work.

Sources: Daum