|
Kim Jong-hyun, 27, was found unconscious next
to burning briquettes on a frying pan inside a serviced
residence in the South Korean capital Seoul, a police official
told Reuters.
"His sister was first to call the police assuming that he might
commit suicide," said the official, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because of the sensitive subject. Yonhap news agency
said the singer sent a final message to his sister asking her to
"let me go."
Kim spent nearly a decade in his leading role as one of five
members of SHINee, one of the most popular boy bands in the
country, as well as a solo artist. His death is a blow to the
massive worldwide fan base that Korea's "K-pop" music has
attracted in recent years.
Thousands of Korean children dream of becoming household names
like rapper Psy, whose 2012 "Gangnam Style" video was a global
YouTube hit, often putting up with punishing schedules in the
hope of one day making it big in the music industry.
K-pop is the rage in Asia, especially in China and Japan, and
the industry has made inroads in the West, with a song by the
group BTS maintaining a spot on the Billboard 200 for a seven
weeks as of the end of November.
The genre has become one of the defining icons of Korea and
forms a major part of what’s been called the Korean Wave, or
hallyu, that has made South Korea a global player in culture, in
addition to electronics, cosmetics, and other industries.
K-pop’s international appeal is such that South Korean President
Moon Jae-in used K-Pop celebrities at events, including a state
dinner, in China last week in a bid to smooth out a year of
difficult diplomacy with a star-laden charm offensive.
Another member of SHINee, Choi Min-ho, was brought in to make an
appearance with U.S. first lady Melania Trump during a state
visit to Seoul in early November, only to steal the spotlight
from her when a loyal fan's enthusiasm went viral in a video of
the event.
(Additional reporting by Cynthia Kim, Hyonhee Shin, and Josh
Smith; Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
