[News] Producer of “Iris” and “Athena” Found Dead in Assumed Suicide.

[News] Producer of “Iris” and “Athena” Found Dead in Assumed Suicide.

Cr. - ohkpop

Cho Hyeon Gil, head of H Plus Communication and producer of such popular dramas as Iris and Athena: Goddess of War, was found dead in his car on January 2.

The producer and his car was found in the parking lot of a restaurant he owns in Gangnam. Police have reported that the man froze to death, and seeing how he had been in his car alone in severe subzero temperatures with a burnt coal briquette and a suicide note, have assumed he died in a suicidal attempt.

An acquaintance of Cho Hyeon Gil said cautiously, “Last Monday (December 31) he left a post on his Facebook page reading ′I feel good now that I′ve set everything aside′. I′m thinking he committed suicide.”

The family of the deceased, however, are insisting that the death was an accident.

Cho Hyeon Gil′s cousin told enews, “The deceased had surgery for valvular heart disease and myocardial infarction, and he had another surgery two months ago in his gallbladder. I believe he died because of a shock he received to his weak heart. He had no reason to commit suicide, as he had no problems regarding his business or his finances.”

The wake is taking place at the Gangnam Severance Hospital. Actors Kim Seung Woo and Lim Hyung Joon have dropped by, while Jang Dong Gun, Kim Sun Ah, baseball player Ryu Hyun Jin and director Yun Je Gyun have sent flowers.

One acquaintance said at the wake, “He planned to look over baseball player Ryu Hyun Jin and produce a film this year. Everything was going great, but I′m sad to hear the sudden bad news.”

Cho Hyeon Gil produced or designed such films as Wet Dreams, Marrying the Mafia II, Who Slept With Her, 71-Into the Fire, Eye for an Eye and The Last Present, and also looked over the production of dramas Iris and Athena: Goddess of War.

He was previously said to be the man responsible for the Kara incident in 2011, in which Han Seung Yeon, Jung Nicole and Kang Ji Young nearly left their team, but he has since denied such claims. He owned a restaurant with Nicole′s mother, but she recently turned in all her shares and left the business.