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Opinion / Are Jonghyun, Sulli and Goo Hara victims of the K-pop industry?

There are huge mental and physical stresses on K-pop trainees to succeed, and, even for those lucky few who ‘make it’ – such as Jonghyun, formally of boy band SHINee – the pressure never relents. Photo: Handout
There are huge mental and physical stresses on K-pop trainees to succeed, and, even for those lucky few who ‘make it’ – such as Jonghyun, formally of boy band SHINee – the pressure never relents. Photo: Handout

K-pop trainees go through rigorous preparation, lasting from 3 to 7 years before they appear on stage, during which time they spend 24 hours a day living with team members in a restricted environment

For K-pop lovers, the date of December 18 is filled with grief. I still remember that day in 2017 when I found out Jonghyun (born Kim Jong-hyun), the leader of K-pop act SHINee, had taken his own life. It was a white winter’s day in Seoul and people were excited about the beautiful snow covering the city. The news of the K-pop star’s death shattered the peace.
Flowers surround a portrait of Goo Hara at a Seoul hospital in November. Photo: AFP
Flowers surround a portrait of Goo Hara at a Seoul hospital in November. Photo: AFP
A painful reminder came late this year when two more K-pop celebrities – Sulli and Goo Hara – died, while K-drama actor, Cha In-ha, was found dead in early December.
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A photo from Sulli’s Instagram page, who passed away on October 14. Photo: Instagram
A photo from Sulli’s Instagram page, who passed away on October 14. Photo: Instagram

While the exact causes of death have not been disclosed, all these figures are known to have suffered from depression. A note from Jonghyun was revealed to the public by his friend Nine9, of Korean band Dear Cloud. She said that Jonghyun asked her to release his note should he die.

“I am broken from the inside,” the note read. “The depression that slowly gnawed at me finally swallowed me, and I couldn’t defeat it.”

 

“Clashing with the world was not meant for me.

“The life of being famous was not meant for me.

“That’s why I’ve suffered. Suffer[ing] comes from the clash and fame. Why did I choose it? It’s funny.”