SEOUL — South Korean singer Wheesung was found dead on Monday at his home in Seoul. He was 43.

The singer was found in a state of a cardiac arrest, authorities said, adding that a "significant amount of time" had passed before his body had been discovered.

They noted that there were no signs of foul play at the scene.

Wheesung, whose real name is Choi Whee-sung, debuted in 2002 and quickly made a name for himself with his soulful vocals. He was massively popular in the 2000s and has been credited with popularising R&B in South Korea.

Over the years Wheesung established himself as a mentor and vocal coach to K-pop stars, even writing songs for some of them. He collaborated with many artists and also performed in K-pop concerts across the world, including in Hollywood.

He was scheduled to hold a concert with ballad singer KCM this weekend in the city of Daegu.

His R&B ballads won praise from veteran Korean singers like Shin Seung-hun and Seo Tae-ji.

But Wheesung was also no stranger to controversy.

In 2021, he was handed a two-year suspended sentence for abusing propofol, a powerful anesthetic that also caused the death of Michael Jackson.

Within days in March and April 2020, Wheesung was found unconscious on two occasions, along with syringes and vials containing etomidate, a sleep-inducing drug similar to propofol.

Fellow artists shared tributes to Wheesung after news of his death broke.

"Wheesung, let's sing and make music freely in that place. I won't forget your pure and clear heart," singer Yoon Min-soo wrote in a social media post accompanied by a video of him and Wheesung performing a duet.

"Let's meet again someday and sing together," Yoon wrote.

Rapper Verbal Jint shared posted a black square on Instagram, accompanied with the caption: "Every moment we shared was an honor, and I'm grateful. You've worked so hard, rest in peace, Wheesung." — BBC