Model Daul Kim Found Dead

Korean supermodel Daul Kim, who was regarded as one of the most beautiful models in the world, was found dead by French police in her Paris apartment, Thursday, her modeling agency Next Management said in a statement. She was 20 years old.

``She was a top model and a great friend to all of us at Next. Please respect her family's privacy at this time of sadness. We will all miss her very much,'' it said.

No other details of her death have been made available, though some reports speculate that she committed suicide.

An official from Esteem, a Seoul-based agency representing Kim, said, ``We heard the news from our Paris agency and don't know any details yet.''

A world-renowned model, Kim was named No. 17 on Fashion Time Magazine's ``Top 20 Hottest Models'' list in 2008.

Known for her quirky personality, Kim has been celebrated for her sense of style.

She ran a blog called ``I Like to Fork Myself'' for two years, posted the song ``I Go Deep'' by Jim Rivers under the title ``Say Hi to Forever'' on Nov. 18 ― the day before her death.

On Nov. 8, she posted, ``Time is too short. Memories are too painful. I don't have to make any more painful memories, do I?''

The 5-foot-10 (178-centimeter) model began modeling in Korea in 2006, appearing in several Korean Vogue editorials. In 2007, she debuted at the fall Chanel, Dries Van Noten and Maison Martin Margiela shows in Paris. After her debut, she built her fame as a top-class model in the international fashion world. Kim was a painter and video filmmaker.

Korean fashion magazines and netizens mourned her death, speculating that she took her own life due to the pressure of modeling.