A lead singer of SHINee, one of South Korea’s top K-pop boybands, died in what appears to be a suicide, according to police reports.
Kim Jong-Hyun, 27, was found unconscious at a Seoul hotel by police after sending his older sister several text messages suggesting suicide, police said.
The messages read “This is my last farewell;” “Things have been so difficult,” “Please let me go and say I did a good job,” prompting his sister to make an emergency call to the police.
Kim was pronounced dead shortly after being moved to a hospital, police said, adding a coal briquette was found burning on a frying pan in the room.
Burning coal briquettes, which release carbon monoxide, is a common method of suicide in South Korea, which has one of the world’s highest suicide rates.
According to latest reports, a suicide note has been discovered in which the K-pop star bemoaned feeling “broken from inside” and was “engulfed” by depression.
The suicide note, released by Kim’s close friend, musician Nain9 on her Instagram account said that he had asked her to publish the message in the event of his death.
It read, “I am broken from inside. The depression that gnawed on me slowly has finally engulfed me entirely,” adding he “couldn’t defeat it anymore”.
“I was so alone,” he went on. “The act of ending is difficult. I´ve lived until now because of that difficulty.”
“Please tell me I did a good job,” he implored, ending the note with: “You’ve worked hard. You’ve really gone through a lot. Goodbye.”
The five-member SHINee is one of the best-known K-pop acts globally and has enjoyed a huge following across Asia and beyond since their debut in 2008.
Known for powerful dance songs and well-orchestrated choreography performed with military precision, the boyband topped the US Billboard World Albums chart several times.
Kim released his first solo album in 2015 and it reached number one on the Billboard World Albums chart. He also performed at solo concerts in Seoul last week.
His death sent shockwaves through K-pop fans with social media flooded by messages of mourning.
Photos posted on social media showed throngs of fans standing in front of the Seoul hospital where his body lies.
“SHINee was one of the very first K-pop groups I ever became a fan of and it hurts to think that this is real. Rest in peace,” said one fan on Twitter.
“No words can describe how heartbroken I am… Rest in peace, Jonghyun,” another tweeted.
South Korean pop culture has conquered a large part of Asia over past decade with its K-pop stars topping charts across the region and its TV dramas enjoying huge popularity.
However, K-pop stars go through cutthroat competition and grueling, years-long training by their agents, who dictate everything from the artists’ music style to diet regimen and even mobile phone usage.
Many are also pressed to maintain squeaky-clean and wholesome images at all times, smiling throughout their public appearances and staying away from “troubles” such as romantic relationships.
South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates among developed countries. A string of high-profile figures, including a former president and business executives, have killed themselves in recent years.
