UPDATE: Since the time this article was originally posted, the police have since officially ruled Jonghyun’s death to be suicide. Read details here.
It is with great sadness that we bring tragic news to our readers today. SHINee‘s Jonghyun has passed away.
On December 18th, it was revealed that the singer passed away after what appears to be a suicide attempt. Following initial reports of his death, several facts were confirmed and are as reported below.
According to Korean media outlets, Jonghyun sent his sister a text message as follows: “It’s been really hard for me until now. Please let me go, and tell me I’ve worked hard, last good-bye.” When she received this message, she became concerned and contacted police to ask them for help.
Upon arriving at the residence where Jonghyun had been staying for the past two days, the police discovered that Jonghyun was still alive after attempting suicide by inhaling the fumes of coal briquettes, a popular method of suicide in South Korea. He was in a state of cardiac arrest, so they quickly rushed him to the hospital. However, he unfortunately passed away as a result.
“On December 18, 2017 at 4:42PM Jonghyun’s older sister reported to Police that her brother was about to commit suicide. We went to his residence in Chungdam and discovered that he had attempted to commit suicide with brown coal briquettes lit inside a frying pan.
Emergency responders were with us at the time so we rushed him to the Konkuk University Hospital in a state of cardiac arrest.”
Although SM asked people to stop speculating on what happened, as evidenced by the police’s statement, Jonghyun seems to have passed away as a result of suicide. However, the police has not yet officially ruled on the cause of death as the investigation is still under way. What led him to take such a drastic step, however, remains a mystery.
The label released a statement later on:
This is SM Entertainment.
We are sorry to be the bearer of such tragic, heart-breaking news.
On December 18th, SHINee’s Jonghyun left us very suddenly.
He was discovered unconscious at a residence in Chungdam-Dong, Seoul and was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead.
Our sadness cannot compare to the pain of his family, who had to say goodbye to a son and a brother, but we have spent a long time with him, and the SHINee members along with the SM Entertainment staff are all in deep mourning and shock.
Jonghyun loved music more than anybody else and he was an artist who did everything to perform his absolute best on stage.It breaks our heart to have to bring this news to fans who loved Jonghyun so much.Please refrain from reporting on rumors and guesswork so the family of the deceased can honor him in peace.As per the wish of the family, the funeral will be held quietly with his relatives and company colleagues.Once again we show our deepest condolences to Jonghyun on his last journey.
We, along with the entire Kpop world and South Korea in general, deeply mourn the tragic passing of this amazing person and gifted artist.
If you also struggle with suicidal thoughts and are located in the U.S., please contact 1-800-273-8255 for 24/7 help and support.
RIP, Jonghyun. We will all miss you greatly.
Media: As Credited