Rest in Peace: 'Zombie Detective' Actress Jung Chae-yul Dead at 26

Jung Chae-yul was a South Korean actor and model. She started her modeling career in 2016 and became a sensation after her role in the Netflix series, Zombie Detective (2020).

Jung Chae-yul, who was born in 1996, rose to fame in the modeling world after appearing on the Korean fashion show, Devil's Runway, in 2016.

Her first foray into acting, before appearing in Zombie Detective, was in the movie Deep (2018). She also starred in the K-drama, I Have Not Done My Best Yet (2022).

Star News, a news outlet from South Korea, first reported the late star's death on April 11. The cause of her death is currently unknown.

"We are here to deliver heartbreaking news," Chae-Yul's firm, Management team, told MK News. "Chaeyul, the actress, is no longer with us."

The management company also stated, “Her funeral will be held privately in accordance to the wishes of her family, who must be in greater sadness than anyone else.” They continued, “We hope you pray for the deceased so Chaeyul, who was also sincere in her acting, may rest in peace.”

When a death of a beloved star happens due to unknown causes, there are bound to be rumors. The management team has tried to get ahead of this by saying, "Please wish for Jung Chae Yull, who had always been earnest in her pursuit of acting, to rest in peace in a warm place. We earnestly request that you refrain from writing speculative articles or spreading rumors."

The CEO of her management company had the following to say about the actress:

"Our Chae-Yul was very hardworking. She was a deep-hearted and cool friend. In my opinion, it is hard to describe in words how amazing she was as an actress.”

Zombie Detective is about a man who is resurrected as a zombie and becomes a detective to uncover the secrets of his past. Jung Chae-yul played Bae Yoon-mi in the fantasy drama, and all 12 episodes of the show are available on Netflix.

During the 18th KBS Entertainment Awards, Zombie Detective managed to win the Best Challenge Award. Jung Chae-yul's co-stars in the hit drama include Choi Jin-hyuk, Kwon Hwa-woon, and Park Ju-hyun, all of whom are series regulars.

Jung Chae-yul rarely put out details about his personal life. Therefore, little is known about her romantic life and former relationships.

The late actress posted a couple of photos in her last Instagram post just three days before her death. The post features the Zombie Detective actress with headphones on, playing music, while having some drinks.

The photos then show her on an elevator ride, heading out.

As soon as the news broke out about her death, fans flooded the post with messages of condolences. Although many of them were in Korean, the ones in English mostly read "Rest in peace."

Some fans weren't afraid to share their feelings. One of them wrote, “I wish you all the best there and only good memories.” While another shared, “I’m so sad. I don’t know how to feel.”

Even though many knew Jung Chae-yul from Zombie Detective, she did not have a leading role. She landed one, though, for the upcoming K-drama, Wedding Impossible.

Wedding Impossible is a romantic drama about a secretly gay heir of a Korean conglomerate who proposes a fake marriage to a struggling actress. Since she is relatively unknown and could use a break, she accepts the proposal. However, desires soon start to clash.

The drama is based on the Korean manga of the same name.

The actress met her demise while Wedding Impossible was in the middle of filming. So it's sad that fans would never get to enjoy her starring role, which would have surely catapulted her to greater success.

After the news of her death broke out, the producers of Wedding Impossible stopped filming, saying there were assessing the situation. Here's what they said:

“We express our deep condolences. Future filming schedule is under internal discussion.”

Jung Chae-yul was a star on the rise. Besides her modeling and acting careers taking off, she was slowly growing her Instagram, with her account boasting more than 25K followers at her time of passing. May her soul rest in peace.