How fans come to terms with K-pop deaths of Goo Hara, Sulli and Jonghyun

The deaths of K-pop stars Goo Hara and Sulli within six weeks of each other, as well as that of Jonghyun in December 2017, sent a shock wave of grief through their millions of fans in South Korea and around the world. Goo, a close friend of Sulli, was found dead in her flat on November 24, while Sulli and Jonghyun both took their own lives. Fans mourning their passing responded publicly and privately, with some flocking to Goo’s funeral home. Others are petitioning Twitter to make an exception to its newly announced policy of deleting accounts inactive for six months – one that would diminish Jonghyun’s official online presence. Fans of Goo Hara mourn her death as police confirm ‘pessimistic’ note found Experts say these reactions are ways for fans to deal with their idols’ deaths, which have a real psychological impact – and could help raise awareness about mental health in South Korea. Claire Chou, a 16-year-old student from San Diego in the United States, managed the Fairy and Tree fan page on Instagram to remember Jonghyun. “I believe that Jonghyun is still here, but just in a different form,” Chou says. “Through pictures, videos and songs, I can remember his talent and ray of light.” While Chou has come to terms with his death in her own way, many fans still have a tough time dealing with tragic news about their favourite star. “I was in shock and in disbelief when a friend showed me the news [about Goo Hara], as I thought it was an old article about her previous suicide attempt,” recalls Alex Wong, a 30-year-old engineer in Singapore who has been a fan of the singer and actress since 2012. He initially did not believe the reports, as people had been spreading rumours about Goo since she was hospitalised after an apparent suicide attempt in May. She had been in a legal battle with her former boyfriend, accusing him of filming her without her consent and threatening to circulate a video of the pair having sex. “I spent these last few days revisiting clips of her past television shows and streaming Kara’s songs online,” says Wong, referring to Goo’s former band. “I am also sending and receiving messages of support to and from other fans to deal with the situation.” For fans based in South Korea, the stars’ deaths may have seemed less surreal as they are frequently discussed in the media and in public. “Every time I heard Sulli’s name mentioned around me, I started to cry,” says Lee Young-hee*, an 18-year-old student from Daegu, who says she has sought professional counselling to cope. “Even after a month, I still don’t know if I am okay as I miss seeing her on stage or in other public appearances.” How a deadly US epidemic is fuelled by Korean mental health taboo Lee Seung-yeon, a professor of psychology at Ewha Woman’s University, says the passing of these stars has a definite impact on their fans. “As most of these fans are adolescents who have not yet fully developed their own identities, the stars that they look up to as idols signify a very important part of their development,” she says. “Young fans develop a deep sense of belonging and community from the fan base, and many closely observe what the stars say or do.” Consequently, Lee says parents and schools should be mindful of the impact of these events, and educate young students on how to handle loneliness and stress. “If a person of this much significance dies by suicide, it might instil the impression in young fans that suicide is an acceptable method to get rid of pain and loneliness,” says Lee, who also serves as a suicide-prevention adviser for South Korea’s education ministry. In addition to seeking counselling, experts and fans agree that the public should be more aware of the pressure many celebrities are under. “I think many K-pop celebrities are prone to breaking down as every part of their lives is heavily scrutinised by the media and the public, while they receive a lot of hate comments online on how they should and should not behave as idols,” says Wong, the Goo Hara fan from Singapore. From a psychological perspective, many stars live an atypical life that ignores many social needs. “These needs consist of autonomy, competence and social relatedness, but the restricted lifestyle of a famous star likely is absent of autonomy and social relatedness [or love and belonging],” says Lee from Ewha’s Woman’s University. “If these needs are not satisfied in their personal lives, their values or reasons to live may become cloudy.” Paul Han is a co-founder of Allkpop, a K-pop news site that has 12 million monthly readers around the world. He echoes the thoughts of many fans that the mental health of celebrities should be more closely monitored by their management. “The entertainment companies that house these stars should offer classes and treatment on mental health,” he says. “They should bring in a third party that will help them implement a mental health programme [for] their stars.” South Korea is known to have the highest rate of suicide among OECD states. Experts and fans agree, however, that cases of celebrities taking their own lives do raise awareness of mental health in the country. “My take on mental illness was changed significantly by Jonghyun’s case,” says Chae Do-gyeong, a 17-year-old student in Seoul, who says he and many other fans failed to pick up on the star’s mental state as he made frequent public appearances and had an outgoing personality on camera. “I think Jonghyun’s death has made me look for symptoms of mental illness in people close to me like my friends and family.” *Some names have been changed to protect identities If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page .