A note reportedly written by one of South Korea’s most popular boy band stars before his suspected suicide on Monday has revealed his struggle with depression and life in the public eye.
“The depression that was slowly devouring me at last consumed me,” wrote singer Kim Jong-hyun, 27, in a message to his friend Nine, a member of another pop group called Dear Cloud.
Kim, known simply as Jong-hyun, was the lead singer of the world famous five member band SHINee. He died in an apartment in the South Korean capital, Seoul, shortly after sending a “final farewell” to his sister by text message.
After consulting with his family, Nine posted the note to her Instagram account on Tuesday, telling fans that Jong-hyun had instructed her to make it public if he “disappeared from the world.”
It referred to his battle with the crushing pressure of celebrity life, saying “I was broken from the inside” and “the life of fame was never meant for me.”
JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images
The superstar, also a successful solo singer-songwriter, went on to question his life choices. “Maybe I wasn’t supposed to be known to the world; I’ve learned that’s what (makes my life) difficult. How come I chose that,” he wrote.
The young performer’s sudden death has prompted an outpouring of grief on social media from fans and fellow celebrities.
But it has also shed a critical spotlight on the multibillion K-pop industry, where artists are drilled to perfection at gruelling song and dance academies from a young age and must meet high standards of behaviour and physical appearance.
“Many talents are recruited as teenagers, and may not be emotionally mature enough to handle the discipline and the scrutiny,” reported US entertainment magazine, Variety, adding that several young Korean talents had committed suicide since K-pop burst onto the scene in the late 1990s.
#NewProfilePic #RosesForJonghyun We Love you Jonghyun!!! May you rest in peace pic.twitter.com/QKMPWTZ5PI
— cassidy🐰 (@_bunnykookk) December 19, 2017
It is not known what caused Jong-hyun’s depression but like all K-pop stars he faced the instant judgement of social media. In 2013, he was reportedly trolled by conservative activists for publicly supporting LGBT rights.
Shinee’s creator, SM entertainment, released a tribute to Jong-hyun in the hours following his death.
“He loved music more than anyone else and loved performing,” it said. “He is a great artist who loved communicating with his fans through music.”
Click Here: Bape Kid 1st Camo Ape Head rompers
Comments are closed