Fans and fellow performers yesterday mourned the death of a K-pop star who had long been the target of online bullying, some calling for greater mental health support for those working in the nation’s notoriously competitive entertainment industry.
The body of Sulli, a former member of girl group f(x), was discovered on Monday by her manager at her home on the outskirts of Seoul.
“There has been no evidence of an outsider having broken in or any other crimes committed by another person,” a Seongnam Sujeong Police Agency official said. “Suicide is among the possible causes.”
Photo: AP
Authorities said the 25-year-old had been suffering from “severe depression.”
South Korea has one of the world’s highest rates of suicide which, according to recent government data, is among the top causes of death for those under 40.
“I wish I could hope for Sulli to be the last idol to die from suicide and mental illness, but knowing how cruel society is, I can’t help but be afraid about who’s going to be the next one,” one fan tweeted.
Beneath the glitz and glamor, South Korea’s K-pop industry is known for its cutthroat competitiveness, a lack of privacy, online bullying, and relentless public pressure to maintain a wholesome image at all times and at any cost.
K-pop stars such as Sulli are picked up by agencies at a young age — usually in their early or mid-teens — and their lives then taken over by grueling singing and dancing training.
Taboos about mental illness dissuade many South Koreans from seeking help.
Sulli’s death echoes that of fellow K-pop star Jonghyun, who took his life in 2017 after battling with depression.
Both were members of the SM Entertainment stable, one of South Korea’s biggest talent agencies.
K-pop singer Goo Hara, a close friend of the late star, was also sent to hospital last year after a suspected suicide attempt.
Goo had been abused by her ex-boyfriend, who threatened to post sex videos online.
“I hope Jin-ri is now in a place where she can do whatever she wants,” Goo wrote on Instagram — using Sulli’s real name and sharing photographs of the two of them together.
Sulli, who started her career as a child actress at 11, made her debut in 2009 for f(x), which quickly became one of K-pop’s top girl groups.
Known for behavior considered controversial in South Korea — including her refusal to wear a bra in public — she had been relentlessly bullied online throughout her career, with many sexually abusive comments.
She hosted a TV series where celebrities discussed their experiences of online abuse. She had also candidly shared her experience struggling with panic disorder and social phobia.
Her outspokenness resonated with many young South Korean women, who have been leading a new wave of feminists fighting a patriarchal society obsessed with looks.
“Being one of the first female artists in K-pop to talk about mental health and feminism is amazing. I love you so much Sulli — I hope in heaven you are finally free,” another fan tweeted.
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