bbc newsTop South Korean model found dead
South Korean model Daul Kim has been found dead at her apartment in Paris.
Reports say the 20-year-old could have killed herself, but officials have yet to confirm the cause of death.
Ms Kim has made appearances at fashion weeks around the world, modelling for leading designers, including Chanel and Alexander McQueen.
South Korea has the highest rate of suicide among the 30 nations belonging to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.
There have been a string of high-profile suicides in the country during the past year, including that of former President Roh Moo-hyun in May over a corruption scandal.
OMFG! I was really shocked when I read the news about her death. You'll be missed Daul. She's the covergirl of this month's issue of Russh Magazine right? I hope on the next issue of Russh, they'll give a tribute to Daul.
AP via huffington postBy JEAN-PIERRE VERGES
PARIS - A 20-year-old top South Korean model who was a fashion week regular in New York, Milan and Paris has been found hanged in her Paris apartment, a police official said Friday.
Daul Kim was found dead Thursday by her boyfriend, who alerted French police, the official said. He declined to be named in accordance with policy.
Paris police were working under the hypothesis that Kim committed suicide, he said.
Kim's agent, Alessandra Bertoldini of the Next modeling agency, said the model's mother was arriving in Paris later Friday. She declined to elaborate.
Raised in Seoul and Singapore, Kim modeled in Asia before making her fashion week debut in Paris in 2007, modeling for top brands like Chanel, Dries van Noten and Maison Martin Margiela, among others, her Seoul agency, Esteem, said. She most recently appeared during Seoul fashion week in October.
Known for her thick mane of hair -- sometimes dyed blond -- and her quirky sensibility, the 5-foot-10 (178-centimeter) model was celebrated for her sense of style. She was featured recently in a commercial for designer Christopher Kane's line of clothing for British retailer Topshop.
Kim also was an accomplished painter and video filmmaker who had a solo show of her artwork in Seoul.
Bloggers in South Korea mourned her death, speculating she felt the pressure of high-fashion modeling and a loss of identity.
In an Oct. 30 entry on her blog, Kim wrote she was "mad depressed and overworked," and in another entry said "the more i gain the more lonely it is ... i know i'm like a ghost."
The last entry on her blog, dated Nov. 18, was titled "say hi to forever" and carried a video of the song "I Go Deep" by British singer Jim Rivers.
South Korea -- which has the highest suicide rate among the 30 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development -- has had a string of high-profile suicides over the past year.
Former President Roh Moo-hyun jumped to his death in May while embroiled in a widening corruption scandal and the ex-chairman of South Korea's oldest conglomerate killed himself earlier this month. In 2008, top actress Choi Jin-sil committed suicide, following in the footsteps of a fellow actor. A young actress in one of South Korea's popular soap operas also died by suicide.
I'm sure many of you are just as devastated as I am when news reports came in about Daul.
We started talking online in February and after many months of endless conversations, facebook chats, we met for the first time in September during the spring 2010 shows in Milan. She invited me to her hotel room where we hung out for hours, just the two of us. She had a TV show in Korea where she takes video footage of herself and her favourite people. We played dress up -- she made me wear her clothes, we played with her furs (her Isabel Marant is gorgeous), chomped on toblerone, etc. We talked about Asians and racism in fashion, gossiped about models and mean casting directors, etc. Good times all in all. I could've spent the night in her hotel but I didn't bring any clean clothes with me and we both have shows in the morning. We agreed to meet up at D&G backstage the next day.
Daul and her video camera, just before me doing the whole "Hey Korea, we're here at D&G, I love you all" moment haha.
I've been crying the whole day. I just can't believe she's gone! Soo young and soo soon...
I feel terrible because we both talk about our personal problems but I didn't know it's going to end this way. I feel like I could have done something and I could've been there for her more. The last time we talked was last week.
She regularly comments on my facebook wall. Just this Tuesday, she replied to my status message.
I don't go as much on facebook chat because every time I go there, 200 chat windows show up with everyone in the world wanting to get a hold of me... I should have gone online when she posted that reply and took it as a sign that she wanted to talk!
Anyway, I digress.
Daul, I really miss you so much. I'll forever cherish our moments. You'll never be forgotten.
From one fur hag to another, I promise to wear my furs, when I have the opportunity (and where it's cold), in YOUR honor.
I love you Daul. So much.