How Sulli smashed K-pop’s clean-cut facade – by speaking out about mental well-being and championing feminist rights
In celebration of former (f)x girl group star Sulli, who died aged 25 following public battles with panic disorder, social phobia, and online trolls who criticised her outspoken feminist freedoms
According to an Associated Press report, the authorities did not find signs of foul play, although the investigation is ongoing. She was 25 years old.
Finding fame
Born Choi Jin-ri, the Busan native’s first foray in the entertainment industry came as a child actress, appearing in the TV period drama Ballad of Seodong, in 2005.
Sulli’s bra-free images on social media spurred debate in Korea about the appropriate modesty of pop idol role models, versus the liberty of women to dress as they please
But the beauty’s big break was as a member of f(x), a five-piece K-pop girl group, formed in 2009 by major music label SM Entertainment. Along with bandmates Krystal, Victoria, Luna and Amber, the group launched into the music scene that year with the single La Cha Ta. The quintet’s later dance-pop hits including Electric Shock, in 2012 (which has generated 123 million views on YouTube to date), and Rum Pum Pum Pum, in 2013, cemented f(x) as a mainstay in the K-pop genre.
As f(x)’s popularity increased, cracks within the group began to surface. In 2014, Sulli announced a hiatus from the band, citing exhaustion from online trolling and misinformation. In August 2015, Sulli officially exited the group to devote more attention to acting pursuits.