Sometimes we get so caught up in our own current affairs and tokens of pop culture that we forget about the other side of the world and that they might not be as tuned into Western culture as we are. Especially cosmopolitan metropolises like Tokyo and Seoul have birthed their own unique culture and forms of entertainment, and while they're extremely popular over there, we don't often hear about them.
Which is why it's sad only to learn about this young superstar from South Korea in light of the tragic news of his passing. Police have confirmed the death of Kim Jong-hyun, who was one of five members of the hugely popular K-Pop band SHINee. He was only 27-years-old.
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The Korean Herald reports that the young musician was found unconscious in his apartment in Seoul and was immediately taken to hospital. Police were called to the apartment after receiving a phone call from Jong-hyun's sister in the late afternoon, who said she received a number of text messages from her brother that sounded like a "last goodbye", leading her to believe he was going to commit suicide. Reports confirmed that they're treating his death as a suicide.
A statement from Gangnam police confirmed that the superstar was rushed to hospital after he was found in a state of cardiac arrest in his apartment. The statement read:
"On December 18, 2017 at 4:42PM Jonghyun’s older sister reported to Police that her brother was about to commit suicide.
"We went to his residence in Chungdam and discovered that he had attempted to commit suicide.
"Emergency responders were with us at the time so we rushed him to the Konkuk University Hospital in a state of cardiac arrest."
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Jong-hyun arrived at the hospital at 6.10pm, and it was reported that after a team at the hospital performed CPR, he couldn't be revived and was pronounced dead. SHINee's label S.M. Entertainment and none of Jong-hyun's family members have released statements regarding his death so far.
The young star recently admitted to suffering from a deep depression, which he attributed partly to his insomnia. He helped form the band in 2008 for which he showed off skills as a singer and a dancer, and he was always heavily involved in songwriting and production for the group. The band had several number one hits in South Korean charts, and they also became popular in Japan. Just this year, SHINee released their fifth album titled Five and spent a good part of the year touring it around the country.
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The group was loved for their expertly choreographed dance routines and lively performances, and have sometimes been referred to as the "Princes of K-Pop". In a solo effort, Jong-hyun recently performed a couple of shows at the SK Olympic Handball Stadium in Seoul Olympic Park on December 9 and 10, not even two weeks ago.
It's devastating news for fans, but also tragic for anyone else to hear of this young talent having his life end so soon. RIP.
