The lead singer of the South Korean boy band SHINee has committed suicide.
The Mirror reports that singer songwriter Kim Jong-hyun, the lead singer of Kpop boyband SHINee took his own life.
In a statement from Gangnam Police, Kim’s sister called the police saying he was trying to kill himself.
“On December 18, 2017 at 4:42PM Jonghyun’s older sister reported to Police that her brother was about to commit suicide,” said the statement.
“We went to his residence in Chungdam and discovered that he had attempted to commit suicide,” the statement continued. “Emergency responders were with us at the time so we rushed him to the Konkuk University Hospital in a state of cardiac arrest.”
The 27-year-old was reportedly lying in a room with a coal briquette burning on a frying pan, which released carbon monoxide. This is a common method of suicide in South Korea.
Kim, who was a founding member of SHINee in 2008, left a suicide note that his sister reportedly could have read.
Three days prior to his death, Kim was trolled by ultra-conservative group ILBE Storage after changing his Twitter profile to represent support for the LGBTQA community.
Dramafever.com reports that the singer was “under attack” from site members who joined SHINee’s fan club website and posted pictures of women’s bodies with humiliating captions.
In support of a transgender bisexual university student Kim changed his Twitter profile picture to a picture of a female protester placing a flower on a soldier’s bayonette.
He also messaged the student saying, “I am sending these messages for fear of the damage or attention caused to you by my tweet that you may not want. I support you.”
“As an entertainer, as a minority in a different definition who deals with the public, I feel a great sense of loss in this world where we don’t admit differences. Of course, this can’t be comparable to your feeling.”
Tributes to the late singer have surfaced online. “Jonghyun’s beautiful voice. Such a strong vocalist and such a good songwriter,” tweeted one fan.
“He wrote one of my most favourite K-pop songs, Breathe,” said another. “He had so much more to give. I’m so sorry he was in so much pain to do this. RIP Kim Jong Hyun.”
One wrote, “I really don’t know what to think but i do know that my heart is broken. rest in peace kim jong-hyun.”
“Sending my condolence to Shawol and SHINee members and Jong Hyun’s Family, of course,” said a fan. “Kim Jong Hyun, rest in peace, you’re talented. You’re worth and the best. Once again, rest in peace.”
