SEOUL – South Korean celebrity Goo Ha-ra, who attempted suicide earlier this year, was found dead on Sunday (Nov 24) at her Seoul apartment, just days after completing a comeback tour in Japan.
Police said in a statement that the 28-year-old was found in her home in Seoul home at around 6pm. They are still investigating her death.
Goo – a former member of popular K-pop girl group Kara, which disbanded in 2016 – had earlier this month released a solo Japanese-language single, Midnight Queen, and had just wrapped up a mini-tour in Japan from Nov 14 to 19.
She went on a mini-tour in the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka from Nov 14 to 19 to promote her new album.
Goos return to the stage came six months after a suicide attempt in May, when she was rushed to the hospital after being found unresponsive in her apartment in Gangnam.
This came after she made an alarming series of posts on Instagram, with one simply saying: “Goodbye”.
Days after her suicide attempt, she said: “Im sorry for causing concerns and a commotion.”
“In terms of health, I am recovering … I had been in agony over a number of overlapping issues,” said Goo, who joined Kara in 2008 and debuted as a solo artist in 2015. “But from now on, I will steel my heart and try to show up healthy.”
She had before the attempt been embroiled in a public row with a former boyfriend who she accused of assault and said threatened to release sex tapes of the two of them.
Just last month, one of her close friends, fellow K-pop star Sulli, was found dead at her home.
Goo, who was in Japan, had filmed an apology for missing her friend's private funeral on Instagram Live.
"I'm sorry I can't go because I'm in Japan," she said. "I'm sorry that I had no other choice but to greet you like this. Live well up there, and do everything that you wanted to do. I will live hard and work hard for you."
Sulli, whose real name was Choi Jin-ri, was discovered on Oct 14 by her manager, who visited the house as he had been unable to reach her after their last phone call a day before.
The 25-year-old originally gained prominence as a child actress playing the role of Princess Seonhwa of Silla in the 2005 period series Ballad Of Seodong, and later debuted as an idol under SM Entertainment as part of girl group f(x) in 2009.
Sulli took a hiatus from the group in 2014, citing malicious online comments targeted at her. In 2015, she left the group officially, but remained with SM Entertainment.
Two years ago, another SM Entertainment artiste – boyband Shinees Jonghyun – committed suicide at age 27. He had been battling depression before his death.
South Korea is known for having some of the highest suicide rates among developed nations, and celebrities have not been immune from it.
The K-pop industry is known for its cut-throat competitiveness, a lack of privacy, online bullying and relentless public pressure to maintain a wholesome image at all times anRead More – Source
