Singer Son Ho-young was rushed to the hospital early Friday after an apparent suicide attempt, hours after he attended the funeral of his girlfriend, who is thought to have taken her own life earlier this week.

Police said Son appeared to have made the attempt in his car by burning a substance that gave off noxious fumes, but abandoned it when the vehicle caught fire. A passerby who found Son called emergency services.

The fire was extinguished within five minutes and Son, who was moved to Soon Chun Hyang Hospital, did not sustain serious injury, reports said. No suicide note has yet been found.

Two days earlier, Son’s former girlfriend was found dead in the same car. A suicide note, and evidence of common suicide methods led authorities to tentatively conclude that she had killed herself. The method used was similar to that used by Son.

After a career as a member of the popular boy band G.O.D. in 1999, the 33-year-old Son began his solo career in 2006 as the group disbanded.

Following the death of his former girlfriend, Son said that he would stop television appearances and radio programs.


By Lee Sang-ju
(sjlee370@heraldcorp.com)