DISCLAIMER: Much of the information below discusses sensitive topics, such as depression and suicide. Please refrain from reading further if you're uncomfortable with the subject matter, or if you or someone you know has been impacted by this.
These are some of the major factors why, for the last decade, several K-pop idols lost their lives. Indeed, cuts can heal but words will forever be etched on someone's heart and mind. This is a crucial time for us to reflect on what we do on social media as our mean comments are virulent contrary to how we think it could affect the people we aim these words to. Plus, the amount of stress and pressure that they go through on a daily basis caused by their management are constituents as well on pushing someone to his or her limits.
This is why we're leaving an important reminder: idols are humans too.
We listed five of several celebrities who tragically left the world, and we aim to highlight the importance of awareness to mental health.
1. Ahn So Jin
She was so young and full of dreams. Ahn So Jin was signed as a trainee to a major agency for years. Then, in 2015, she was added as a member of the girl group in April. The band released music in the same year. Something, however, went wrong and she was detached from the group and her contract was eliminated. It was a huge blow on her that sources claimed she got depressed. One month after the agency pulled her out, Ahn So Jin jumped from the 10th floor of her dwelling. She was brought to the hospital but she did not survive.
Ahn So Jin's demise brought up the issue of mental health among K-pop stars and hopefuls. Yet, even after her passing, the old, deplorable habits of triggering pressure and stress among the trainees and idols continued.
2. U;Nee
According to reports, U;Nee had it rough when she was young. She was practically raised by her grandmother sans her father. Nevertheless, she became a successful actress in the 90s. In 2003, she ventured into singing and released her first album. She unveiled her comeback album in 2005 and also hit it big. However, she took her own life two years later.
Apparently, U;Nee was struggling with depression. Her friends revealed to the authorities that she concealed her stress from her family, and the incessant online harsh comments triggered her disorder. She hanged herself and it was her grandmother who found her. Prior to her death, she made a cryptic post on her site, saying, "I feel [that] everything is empty. I am again walking down a path to reach a destination that I don't know."
3. Lee Seo Hyun (M.Street)
Lee Seo Hyun was the leader of M.Street, a quintet that debuted in 2005. Sources claimed that he was under a lot of stress, adding the fact that he was the leader of the group. This stress escalated in 2008 prior to the unveiling of their fourth album, but the worldwide tribulation caused him so much distress.
The financial collapse that occurred in 2008 troubled a lot of people, and that included Lee Seo Hyun. He invested his own and his friends' and coworkers' money in the stock market and lost all of it. He was trying to resolve this case days before, but stress overtook and he hanged himself in December of 2008. He left a letter of apology to his family and loved ones. He was 30 and a devout Christian.
4. Jonghyun (SHINee)
The singer-songwriter's death in 2017 is one of the biggest bolts from the blue in the history of K-pop. He was a well-loved star, along with his massively popular band SHINee whom he had been with since 2008. However, the stress and pressures of fame became too big for the 27-year-old idol. His sister reported that she received cryptic texts from him, "Please let me go. Tell me I did well," and, "Final farewell," so she reached out to the authorities to check on him and found him unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead hours later.
A couple of weeks following his demise, it was found out that Jonghyun sent a lengthy text to his friend, which could pass as a suicide note as it was asking the recipient to be released if he "disappear[ed] from the world." The message talked about his struggles with depression and self-loathing. The letter also shared his being unable to overcome everything.
5. Sulli (actress, f(x) alumna)
Sulli, the idol-turned-actress who was formerly a member of the girl group f(x), was found lifeless inside her home in Seoul on October 14, 2019. Not only MeUs but also K-pop enthusiasts as a whole were shocked to the core upon the celebrity's demise. According to netizens, Sulli was heavily cyber-bullied for a long time. She was constantly attacked for the little things she did. She received a backlash when she left f(x) because she wanted to prioritize her health. She also cried on live stream broadcasts a few times, given the hate comments she was incessantly receiving. Later on, the police revealed that she was suffering from severe depression.
Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of her passing.
In light of her death, the mental well-being topic has been brought up again. SM Entertainment artists and other celebrities also postponed upcoming and ongoing activities to pay respect to her departure.
