Song Young-kyu, a well-known South Korean actor, was discovered dead in his car on August 4, around 8 am in Yongin’s Cheoin area, Gyeonggi Province. A person who knew him found him and contacted local police.Officers from Yongin Eastern Station confirmed the death and are reviewing the case. The exact cause hasn’t been released, but reports suggest his mental health had worsened after the public reaction to his recent DUI case. On June 19, the actor was pulled over in Giheung District after driving around 5 km under the influence.A bystander flagged the situation, leading to police action. His blood alcohol level crossed the legal limit of 0.08%, which is grounds for license suspension. The incident surfaced nearly a month later.Following the backlash, Song exited the series Tri and left the stage play Shakespeare in Love. He was still on-screen in The Defects and The Winning Try until recently. However, both dramas have since decided to minimize his scenes wherever possible (Soompi reported).Song Young-kyu rose to fame with the hit 2019 film Extreme Job and went on to feature in several notable dramas. He played Ola Sa-hoon in SBS’s Hot Stove League (2019–20), Hwang Yong-woo in Circle (tvN, 2017), and prosecutor Tak Young-jin in Remember: War of the Son (SBS, 2015–16).His other key roles include Ma Seok-gu in Hyena (SBS, 2020), Nam Jong-soo in Tale of the Nine-Tailed(tvN, 2020), and Park Jong-su in Netflix’s Narco-Saints (2022). He was also seen as Choi Chil-gu in Big Bet (Disney+, 2022) and Yoon Hak-young in JTBC’s Destined With You (2023).In his final on-screen appearances, Song Young-kyu played Pastor Yoon Se-hoon in ENA’s action thriller The Defects, which premiered in July 2025. He was also seen as Coach Kim Min-joong in SBS’s sports drama The Winning Try, which aired up until shortly before his passing.Actor Song Young-Kyu faced struggles before his tragic deathOn August 4, 2025, a close connection told OSEN (translated via Chosun Biz) that Song had been under ongoing pressure, not just from his DUI case, but also from a decline in acting work and personal hardship. The person noted his workload dropped sharply, adding to his emotional toll."My brother had a lot of stress even outside of this (driving under the influence) incident. Including personal matters, it seems that the reduction in projects led to a vicious cycle. As the stress accumulated, it seems he turned to alcohol to forget the pain. It’s very tragic since people around him advised against it," the acquaintance explained.Though he remained active in drama and film, Song and his wife, who ran a café, reportedly faced losses as their family business took a financial hit. Due to rising difficulties, Song reportedly moved into a single-room flat in Bundang, living apart from his wife and kids while continuing to work."Until I met Song Young-kyu last year, he was living apart from his family (including his wife and children). He got an officetel in Bundang and continued his acting career while living alone. In such a situation, with the drinking and driving incident happening, it seems the sense of despair for the future grew. He must have been under stress that he couldn't handle," the source added.The insider acknowledged the mistake in his actions but described the late 55-year-old as a skilled and well-regarded actor.Song Young-kyu's funeral will take place at 8 am on August 6. Burial is planned at Hambeoksan Memorial Park. His memorial is arranged at Room 1 of Davos Hospital’s funeral hall in Cheoin. The performer's wife and two daughters survive him.