The truth behind the Solo Leveling author death rumor

Hello, this is Kanahina 😊

In this article, I will explain why so many people search for whether the creator of Solo Leveling has passed away, and what actually happened.

Conclusion: the original author Chugong is alive.

Let’s start by clearing up the most important point. The news that caused confusion was the passing of DUBU, whose real name was Jang Sung-rak, the artist who worked on the webtoon adaptation of Solo Leveling. This was sometimes misunderstood as news about the original author, Chugong.
DUBU, the incredibly talented artist behind the visual side of Solo Leveling, passed away on July 23, 2022, due to a cerebral hemorrhage.
That part is true.

According to online reports, the funeral was held privately in accordance with the wishes of his family. The production staff, REDICE Studio and related staff members expressed their condolences and gratitude to fans.

Because the artist can also be considered one of the creators of a manga or webtoon, the phrase “the author passed away” is not completely unrelated to the work. However, in general, many readers think of the original story writer as “the author.” In this article, I will refer to Chugong as the original author and explain the confusion from that perspective.

Why did the author death rumor spread?

After the news of DUBU’s passing was reported, some fans and media outlets appear to have mistakenly understood that Chugong, the original author of Solo Leveling, had died.
The rumor likely spread because people confused the artist with the original story writer.

The cancellation rumor may also have contributed to speculation about the author’s death

Before Solo Leveling reached its conclusion, there was a hiatus of about three months. Because of this, many readers and fans worried that the series might have been canceled.

It is likely that cancellation rumors began spreading during that break.
Even after the main story ended, the listing continued to show a hiatus status until the side stories began, which may have led more people to wonder if the series had been discontinued.
These circumstances overlapped, and some readers began worrying about Chugong’s condition online. That may be one reason the death rumor eventually spread.

Timeline of DUBU’s passing and related announcements

Below is a brief timeline of DUBU’s passing, the official announcement and the anime adaptation, all of which are related to why the rumor about Chugong spread.

July 23, 2022
DUBU, also known as Jang Sung-rak, passed away due to a cerebral hemorrhage.

July 25, 2022
REDICE Studio announced his passing on its official website.

January 2024
The Solo Leveling TV anime began airing. Chugong, the original author, was still alive.

March 31, 2024
Production of Solo Leveling Season 2: Arise from the Shadow was announced.

I also answered some frequently asked questions about the Solo Leveling author death rumor below.

DUBU’s history as an artist

DUBU became famous worldwide through Solo Leveling, but he also appears to have worked on other projects in Korea and Japan.
There is not much information in Japanese articles online, so this may be valuable for readers who want to know more 😊

Let’s take a look at some related works.

Beautiful Legends

I have not been able to read Beautiful Legends myself, but it is a manga I would really like to try.
It appears to be a story about a special unit made up of legendary beings. The team seems to include characters such as the following:

A girl with eternal life: a girl who gained immortality through a painting.
A martial artist: a fighter with exceptional combat skills.
A werewolf: a character with the abilities of a wolfman.
Frankenstein: the famous monster Frankenstein.
A vampire: a character with vampire powers.

The story seems to follow these characters as they work together to fight villains who threaten humanity.

It was apparently once available on the manga app COMICO, but due to the creator’s circumstances, it became difficult to resume serialization and the series ended unfinished.
I really wanted to read it, so that is a shame 😣

The information is in English, but MangaDex has images and details, so I will leave the link here.
View the MangaDex page

The Island of Giant Insects

The Island of Giant Insects is a Japanese manga written by Yasutaka Fujimi and illustrated by REDICE Studio. It was serialized on Manga Cross by Akita Shoten from 2014 to 2019.
It is also sold on ebookJapan. The series has 6 volumes, and up to volume 2 was available to read for free. You can move to the site from the image above.

The story is a survival horror about Mutsumi Oribe and her classmates, who are stranded on an uninhabited island after a plane accident during a school trip and must fight to survive against giant insects.

It was later adapted into a film, and The Island of Giant Insects was released theatrically on January 10, 2020.

Space Dandy

Space Dandy is a Japanese science-fiction comedy anime.
It is also sold on ebookJapan. You can move to the site from the image above.

The story follows Dandy, an alien hunter who travels across space, his robot assistant QT, and Meow, a cat-like alien.
Their goal is to discover unknown aliens and earn rewards, but their actions are always comic and unpredictable.

Pages that discuss the Solo Leveling author death rumor

ORICON NEWS: Manga artist DUBU passed away at 37 after working on the popular webcomic Solo Leveling

Wikipedia: Solo Leveling

Summary

Finally, let me summarize the truth behind the Solo Leveling author death rumor.
↓

• The original author Chugong is alive.
• The rumor appears to have spread because people confused the artist with the original story writer.
That is the main conclusion.

DUBU enriched Solo Leveling visually with his outstanding art skills and creative talent, moving many readers around the world.
His passion for the work continues to be carried forward by fans and the production team even after his passing.

I am sincerely grateful for DUBU’s contribution and pray for his soul to rest in peace.