Korean model found dead

Ms Kim became a fashion week regular in New York, Milan, Paris and London and most recently appeared during Seoul fashion week in October. -- PHOTO: AP

SEOUL - A TOP South Korean model who was a fixture at fashion week in Paris and London was found dead at her apartment in Paris, an official said on Friday.

Ms Daul Kim, 20, was found dead on Thursday by French police, a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said. The official declined to provide further details and asked not to be named, citing ministry policy.

Media reports called it an apparent suicide, but officials have not confirmed the cause of death. Her Seoul agency, Esteem, said her family and agency officials were heading to Paris.

Raised in Seoul and Singapore, Ms Kim modelled in Asia before making her fashion week debut in Paris in 2007, modelling for Chanel, Dries van Noten and Maison Martin Margiela, among others, her agency said. She became a fashion week regular in New York, Milan, Paris and London and most recently appeared during Seoul fashion week in October, according to Esteem.

Known for her thick mane of hair - sometimes dyed blond - and her quirky sensibility, the 5-foot-10 (178-centimetre) model was celebrated for her sense of style. She was featured recently in a commercial for designer Christopher Kane's line of clothing for British retailer Topshop.

Ms Kim also was an accomplished painter and video filmmaker who had a solo show of her artwork in Seoul. She often listed 'collecting forks' as a hobby. Bloggers in South Korea mourned her death, speculating she felt the pressure of high-fashion modelling and a loss of identity. -- AP