SHINee Members Share Letters About Jonghyun’s Passing, Confirm Concert Schedule

It has been less than a month since the k-pop community learned of Jonghyun’s passing, and many [...]

By Megan Peters

It has been less than a month since the k-pop community learned of Jonghyun's passing, and many are still grieving the loss. In December, the main vocalist of SHINee was laid to rest after an apparent suicide attempt, and the group has kept out of the spotlight since. Now, SHINee is opening up about the loss after confirming it will carry on with its upcoming concerts as scheduled.

Come February, SHINee was set to hold a series of concerts in Japan. SM Entertainment asked fans to be patient about news on the concerts after news of Jonghyun's passing was made public. Not long ago, SHINee's remaining members announced they will do the concerts as planned as a way to their friend and fans.

To make the announcement, each of SHINee's members shared handwritten letters explaining their decisions. You can read what Onew, Taemin, Minho, and Key had to say below (via AllKPop):

"Hello. This is SHINee's Onew.
I'm not sure what to say first. I'm thankful that you have protected and cared about the member that we love so much, and I'm sorry for worrying you. I thought this wouldn't work, and that we wouldn't be able to perform. But Jonghyun's mother told us never to give up, and I believed that if we could give comfort to someone who is in longing and in pain, I should work harder even though I'm lacking. I am very lacking, but I want to the best I can for SHINee. Even if the course is difficult, I will work my best. Jonghyun is forever a SHINee member, and will always be in our hearts and the fans' hearts, so I believe nothing will have changed. I will continue to work hard as SHINee. Thank you."

"Hello. This is SHINee's Key.
So many people worried for me, and I'm working to gather my thoughts and go back to everyday life. Sometimes I cry when I see things Jonghyun-hyung left behind because of the memories, and even though my heart hurts, I'm working hard to win over it by thinking I'm spending time with hyung. I know many people support SHINee to keep promoting, and I thought a lot about it as well, but I didn't think I wanted to give up everything for a peace of mind. Many people are worried about us, and we decided to continue on with our Japanese concert. This decision would be something Jonghyun-hyung wanted from us, and I believe that it's the most SHINee-like to keep our promise to the fans and put on a good stage. This year is SHINee's 10th anniversary. Thank you so much for always supporting us and taking care of us, and we will give back through a SHINee-like stage. I love you, and thank you.

"Hello, this is SHINee's Minho.
Concerning SHINee's Japanese concert, the members each thought for himself and also gathered to talk about it, and we came to a cautious conclusion. I am writing to relay my thoughts calmly. While I write this, I'm having a lot of thoughts, and every moment, I feel a lot of emotions, but I want to write calmly. There must be some who embrace this decision, and others who worry about this decision. We also don't know what the right answer is, but we believe right now that this is the right answer, and we want to keep our promise to you.
All the memories we have with the members, the staff, and the fans are all so precious and happy to us, and I believe nothing else can replace that. Nothing can replace Jonghyun-hyung's place, and I'm worried about the quality of our stage, but I will put all my sincerity in preparations by thinking that Jonghyun-hyung will be with us on all the stages that SHINee will be on in the future. As Jonghyun-hyung and the rest of us promised with you, when we are exhausted and want to quit, and when we want to run away because we're weak, I will remember that your hands are our biggest strength, and keep singing for you. It's harder than anyone can imagine, but I believe you will give us strength so we can all overcome this and keep our promise. SHINee will feel grateful at every moment through that support, and fill our moments for you and Jonghyun-hyung. I think I will be able to be a little warmer in this cold winter thanks to your warm support. Thank you.

"Hello. This is SHINee's Taemin.
To be honest, I didnt' have much confidence to perform. However, I wanted to keep our promise with fans, and I didn't want to say farewell to the SHINee members in the future.
When I looked back to the times that I was the happiest and I had the most security in, they were moments when I was with the members and the fans. I got more fond of the name 'SHINee' as well as the members, and I wanted even less to give up. I know the future won't be easy, but I'm going to try my best so that the name SHINee will keep shining without losing its light or being forgotten. The members and you are the people who made me such beautiful memories. I'm thankful and I want to keep those memories for a long time. I want to keep being loved as SHINee, and I want to show our member in the sky that we will confidently step up and stand on the stage as SHINee. I'm sorry for worrying fans, and I ask you keep watching us. It's cold, so take care of yourselves, and happy new year."

How will you support SHINee moving forward into 2018? Let me know on Twitter @MeganPetersCB about your favorite moments of the group.

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