The fictionalized Korean entertainment industry was rocked by the news that “National Grandfather” Lee Soon Jae had allegedly passed away on the morning of November 25, at the age of 91. His family, in the fictionalized story, said he passed away “peacefully and quietly.” But the matter became even more shocking when the “investigation results” in the fictionalized news report revealed that the cause was not due to illness – but due to a detail that few expected.

According to the completely simulated narrative, investigators said the cause was believed to be a very strange accident. Not heart disease, not age, not health problems – but overwork on a secret project he was preparing.

A source in the story said:

“We found him in his office, with a handwritten manuscript still on his desk. The preliminary conclusion is that he was exhausted while researching documents all night.”

What’s even more strange: the manuscript he left behind was described as a new script, in which he took on the lead role – a role he is said to have devoted all his heart to at the end of his life. An investigator (in the fictional story) revealed:

“It was as if he wanted to contribute once more. No one expected that such dedication would become the cause of tragedy.”

The fictional news immediately went viral, causing the fan community to “burst” with a series of memorial comments. Many said that if the story was true, it accurately reflected Lee Soon Jae—an artist who lived, breathed, and existed for art.

A long-time colleague in this simulated story “shared emotionally”:

“He never stopped. He always said: ‘Artists don’t retire, they just have time off from performing.’”

And it was this “never stopping” that became the detail woven into the reason for his departure in the dramatic tabloid news.