K-Pop Superstar Jonghyun of SHINee Dies at 27 in Apparent Suicide
Jonghyun, the lead singer of K-pop group SHINee, died in an apparent suicide.
His sister became concerned after he sent a troubling text message to her.
“It’s been too hard. Please send me off. Tell everyone I’ve had a hard time. This is my last goodbye,” the message said.
Jonghyun’s sister called the police at 4:42 p.m. fearing that her brother was attempting suicide. He was found unconscious at approximately 6 p.m. on Dec. 18 at his apartment in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, according to AllKpop.
The singer, whose legal name is Kim Jong-hyun, was rushed to Konkuk University Hospital in a state of cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead after medics attempted to revive him through CPR. But he never regained conscious.
Police also found a frying pan with brown liquid at the apartment. The substance was later identified as coal briquette, which produces carbon monoxide. Heating coal briquettes in an enclosed area could cause carbon monoxide poisoning, leading to death.
Earlier today, K-pop fans pointed out that Jonghyun’s song “Lonely” reached No. 1 on the Melon Real Time Chart, South Korea’s equivalent of the Billboard chart.
Celebrities have also took to Twitter to express their grief for the 27-year-old singer’s death.
Jonghyun’s death also opened a dialogue about the mental health of stars in the industry.
SM Entertainment, the company SHINee is signed to, released the following statement, translated by Koreaboo.
“This is SM Entertainment.
We are sorry to be the bearer of such tragic, heart-breaking news.
On December 18th, SHINee’s Jonghyun left us very suddenly.
He was discovered unconscious at a residence in Chungdam-Dong, Seoul and was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead.
Our sadness cannot compare to the pain of his family, who had to say goodbye to a son and a brother, but we have spent a long time with him, and the SHINee members along with the SM Entertainment staff are all in deep mourning and shock.
Jonghyun loved music more than anybody else and he was an artist who did everything to perform his absolute best on stage.
It breaks our heart to have to bring this news to fans who loved Jonghyun so much.
Please refrain from reporting on rumors and guesswork so the family of the deceased can honor him in peace.
As per the wish of the family, the funeral will be held quietly with his relatives and company colleagues.
Once again we show our deepest condolences to Jonghyun on his last journey.
– SM Entertainment”
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