Mourning in K-Pop: the deaths that shocked Korean music and its fans around the world

In recent years, the kpop it has taken a global force that must be taken into account. With a musical movement that began in the late 1990s, South Korea has risen up with a soft power weapon that reaches all ages and social networks have been one of the ways that have allowed the growth of a musical genre that scores millions of views on various platforms.

But in the hallyu (Korean word that literally translates as “Korean Wave”, encompassing all aspects of the Republic of Korea’s pop culture) where most of its icons do not exceed 35 years of age, it has been death that has surprised to own and strangers.

With exhausting days, precarious working conditions and before social standards where the idols (name by which artists are called) have to perform perfectly, mental health care remains on a distant plane for the artists who today fill international stages.

Although not all deaths within this industry have been related to suicide, it has been seen as a common agent that worries fans when an artist’s death is announced.

The actress Jang Jayeon it was one of the first suicide deaths to shock the Hallyu industry. The actress died at the age of 29 and it was her role as the villain Sunny in the popular drama Boys Over Flowers in company of lee minho and goo hyesun. However, despite his enormous fame, in March 2009 he took his own life.

This situation completely shocked Korea when it was revealed that during her career, the actress had been repeatedly sexually and physically abused by some of the most important executives of Korean entertainment.

Because of this, in 2008 the actress was diagnosed with clinical depression and received medical treatment for the condition.

It was in 2009 when after a call with her sister where she told her about the stress she was experiencing, that the actress ended her life according to the Korean authorities.

Due to alleged statements while Jang was alive where he asserted that the director of his talent agency Kim Sung Hoon constantly beating her and forcing her to have sexual relations with Korean entertainment executives, the businessman was arrested and tried, being sentenced to one year in prison, two years of probation and 160 hours of community service.

However, it was in 2019 when, after different prostitution scandals, the then Korean president Moon Jain He requested the reopening of the case, although it was unsuccessful and even scammers arose who asked for money on behalf of the actress.

Jang Jayeong’s remains were placed with those of her parents in the Jeongeup community in North Jeolla state.

Kim Jong-hyun debuted in 2008 at the age of 18 in the boyband SHINeemade up of five members (Onew, Jonghyun, Minho, Key and Taemin) and after his rapid rise to world fame, he positioned himself as one of the most purposeful artists in terms of music within the field of K-Pop when different figures from this musical current began to produce their materials, leaving the mold that had been handled for more than 15 years where the idol it only functioned as an image and voice.

Jonghyun took the challenge of positioning himself as one of the first idols whose self-composed works came to be reflected in the albums of the group to which he belonged, SHINee.

However, the singer had been open about matters related to mental health and on several occasions talked about this topic with his fans through his radio program.

It was the afternoon of December 18, 2017 when Jonghyun’s death was reported. Her sister contacted the Korean authorities after receiving worrying text messages from the vocalist and that he did not respond to the young woman’s calls.

The singer rented an apartment located in Gangnam and the last time he was seen alive was in the store next to the complex where he was. Due to the call from his sister, the soloist was found unconscious and taken to Konkuk University Hospital after a cardiac arrest.

Although he received CPR, the singer was pronounced dead at the age of 27 and South Korean authorities have ruled his death a possible suicide. His remains were taken to a secret location at his family’s request for privacy.

After his death, suicide prevention and mental health care became one of the topics that began to be discussed with greater force within the K-Pop industry and also with its consumers.

real name Choi Jinrithe former member of the group f(x) It was another of the deaths that surprised the followers of the hallyu.

The actress and singer debuted in 2009 as a member of the quintet f(x) under SM Entertainment, which included young Chinese and Korean girls, and the young woman, being the smallest of the group, gained enormous popularity among K-Pop fans.

It was July 2014 when the actress also decided to take a break due to being mentally and physically exhausted because of the comments and accusations she was receiving because she had released a rumor where she assured that she was in a relationship with the rapper. choice from Dynamic Duo (whose courtship was later confirmed).

Just over a year after her break began, in August 2015 SM Entertainment made the singer’s departure from the group f(x) official.

Between 2013 and 2017, both Sulli and her boyfriend, Choiza, were victims of cyberbullying until in 2019 the actress was found dead on the second floor of her home by her brother, who also served as her manager. The young man went to the singer’s house because, since the day before, he had not been able to have contact with Sulli.

It was after an autopsy required by the South Korean Police that the cause of his death by suicide was confirmed.

The singer’s death was linked to digital violence and it transpired that the vocalist made different requests to her agency, SM Entertainment, to take action against those who posted malicious comments as well as who attacked her through social networks.

Her remains were also placed in an undisclosed location to protect the privacy of the actress.

Despite the fact that much can be speculated about the causes of the death of different Korean artists and there is talk of the working conditions for which Korean artists are taken, some of the deaths that have most surprised this musical union have little to do with the mental health care and relate to physical conditions.

However, given the constant concern of fans, agencies have suggested that when an artist mentions issues related to mental health or any physical problem, deductions should not be made about the artists and their private lives.

Although many opinions arose before their deaths, Minwoo from the group 100% and MOONBIN from ASTRO are added to the list of surprise deaths that, in the case of the former, was due to a heart condition and in the case of MOONBIN, the causes are still unknown. established.

In March 2018, the death of seo minwooleader of the 100% group that was under the agency TOP Average.

Jonghyun’s death being recent, speculation immediately arose due to the question of the causes of death of 33-year-old Minwoo.

However, it transpired that the actor died due to a sudden heart attack that he suffered while he was at home. The singer was found dead by Korean authorities who declared him dead at his home.

It had been in 2012 when Minwoo debuted in the group 100% and two years later he entered the Korean military service, he had also made his acting debut with participation in the dramas Sharp 3 and King and I.

MOONBIN debuted in 2016 within the lineup of the septet STAR, At the age of 18, the man who was once a child actor soon found himself in popular taste.

His death is the most recent within the K-Pop industry. Born in 1998 and 25 years old, MOONBIN was one of the exponents of the so-called fourth generation of K-Pop and in the days before his death, the singer had been touring Asia as part of the activities of the subunit. MOONBIN&SANHA.

When the news about the death of the singer was released, it was a statement from his agency, Fantagio, which asked that there be no speculation about the death of the singer since the cause was not yet clear.

However, given the concern for the mental health of the artists and the statements that the singer made at his last concert in Bangkok, where he stated that he had not been feeling well but “he would strive to get ahead”, the alarm among the fans of the subgenre went on.

10 days after the death of the vocalist, the causes of his death have not been disclosed.

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