Goo Hara, the K-pop singer, has been found dead in South Korea at the age of 28, according to Daily Variety. News of Goo Hara’s death broke on the morning of November 24, 2019.
Goo Hara’s cause of death is not yet clear and remains under investigation. Fans took to social media to express their pain. “We love you queen?❤️” wrote one on her Instagram page. “Rest in peace, dear. Sleep well and sweet dreams. ??,” wrote another. She was also known as Goo Ha-ra and Hara.
Her death is part of a string of South Korean entertainment figures who have died young, some from suicide.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Goo Hara Tried to Commit Suicide Last Spring
Although it’s not clear whether her cause of death was suicide, Daily Variety reports that Goo Hara did try to commit suicide in the past, last March 2019.
That occurred when her ex-boyfriend was accused of threatening to assault her and release a sex video, causing her agency to let her go, Variety reports.
South China Morning Post reports that the issue with the boyfriend dated to 2018, when she filed a lawsuit against him and he ended up with an 18 month prison term after being accused of threatening “to upload a secretly taken photo of her.”
The site reports that South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. “Spycam porn” has led to protests by South Korean women, whose energizing around the issue was seen by some as that country’s #metoo movement.
2. Goo Hara Had Just Appeared in Comeback Performances
Things seemed to be looking better for Goo Hara, according to the BBC, which reported she had just starred in a string of “comeback performances” last week.
She was a member of the now-disbanded K-pop group Kara since 2008 and also released her own music as a solo artist and appeared on television, BBC reported.
She had signed a contract with a Japanese talent agency, according to NBC, and released a solo Japanese single called “Midnight Queen” earlier in November.
3. Her Last Instagram Post Read, ‘Good Night’
Goo Hara was an Instagram influencer, and she posted a final message to her 1.5 million followers. It was a picture of herself in bed that she posted on Saturday.
“Good night,” it reads. Her name on Instagram is Koo Hara.
Other K-pop members are now reacting to Hara’s death. EXO wrote: “We have adjusted the teasing schedule for EXO’s sixth full-length album due to the tragic incident,” the announcement read. “We will announce the schedule later, so we kindly ask for your understanding. We express our deepest condolences.”
4. Goo Hara Was Found Dead in Her Home, Reports Say
Goo was found dead inside her home at about 9 a.m. GMT on Sunday November 24, 2019, BBC reports. According to South China Morning Post, Goo Hara lived in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul.
The BBC’s Seoul correspondent Laura Bicker was one of the first to confirm Goo Hara’s death, writing on Twitter, “The South Korean celebrity Goo Ha-ra, a former member of popular K-pop girl group Kara has been found dead at her home. The 28-year-old was found dead around 6pm. We are awaiting more details. So sad.”
Park Gyu-ri and Han Seung-yeo were other members of the band Kara. Goo Hara was a solo singer since 2015, according to Independent. Her first EP was Alohara (Can You Feel It?).
5. Other K-pop Members Have Committed Suicide
Only a month ago, the K-pop world was mourning the death of another star, Sulli. According to BBC, the former member of the band f(x) was only 25 years old when she was found dead in her home in South Korea. Goo was friends with Sulli and posted on social media about her death.
The cause of death for Sulli was a suspected suicide, BBC reported. You can read more about Sulli’s death here.
Sulli had told Mirror UK that she felt “alone” and “exhausted” while she was with the band, commenting: “I was under so much pressure. I often felt scared. We [f(x)] felt so much pressure. I did what someone told me to do without knowing the reason.”
In 2009, actress Jang Ja-yeon committed suicide.
READ NEXT: The Death of Sulli.