Organizer Of Deadly South Korean Pop Concert That Claimed 16 Lives Found Dead, Apparent Suicide

A man who was involved in the planning of a South Korean pop concert that claimed the lives of 16 concertgoers was found dead today in an apparent suicide.

The Independent reports that the body of the 37-year-old, who has yet to be named, was discovered in the early hours of Saturday morning at Seongnam in his native South Korea. Police officials said they suspect suicide. His death is assumed to be related to the deadly pop concert, as it comes just one day after spectators were killed when a ventilation grate they were standing on suddenly collapsed. The collapse sent the people plummeting 60 feet down, killing 16. The accident happened as popular Asian girl band 4Minute was playing.

To make matters worse, 11 other people were seriously hurt during the fall at the outdoor concert, including eight people who doctors are currently treating for life-threatening injuries. Police said they had questioned the man over the incident on Friday, and have since warned that the death toll could still rise as many are fighting for their lives in hospitals.

Most of the victims were men in their 30s and 40s, while five women in their 20s and 30s were also among the dead, fire officials said. A video recorded at the concert showed the girls in the band continuing to dance after the accident, most of them apparently unaware of what had just happened.

The man who was found dead this morning was an employee of Gyeonggi Institute of Science and Technology Promotion, which was one of the sponsors of the event organized by news website Edaily. The concert reports show that 700 people turn out for the event.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the man leapt to his death from a high-rise building on Saturday morning. Officials in Seongnam, a city south of Seoul, identified the apparent suicide victim as Mr. Oh to the Journal, but did not disclose his full name. Mr. Oh was believed to have jumped from the top of a 10-story building in the city early in the morning on Saturday, after the police questioned him about the concert, police and city officials said. He didn’t leave behind any suicide note, but left a message on Twitter expressing his “apologetic feeling about those killed by the accident” at the concert.

It’s not clear what specific role Mr. Oh played, but local media reported that he was dealing with safety issues at the concert, hence why he might have felt such a sense of responsibility about the tragedy.

The disaster comes as South Korea struggles with the aftermath of a ferry disaster in April that left more than 300 people dead or missing.