K-Pop Gayo Award Ceremonies Will Feature SHINee Tributes

With 2017 coming to an end, the k-pop industry is preparing to host its end-of-year specials. [...]

By Megan Peters

With 2017 coming to an end, the k-pop industry is preparing to host its end-of-year specials. Award ceremonies will be aired in the coming days, bringing some of the world's biggest acts onto one stage. Now, new reports indicate each of the Gayo Festivals will host a tribute to the late Kim Jonghyun.

Over in Korea, an series of reports have surfaced regarding upcoming Gayo schedules. KBS, SBS, and MBC will all host their annual music festivals, and new updates indicate each of them will have a tribute to the SHINee vocalist.

"KBC, MBC, SBS Gayo will be commemorating the memory of our late brother SHINee's Jonghyun," the tweet below reads. "Jinki, Minho, Key, and Taemin will also join the stage."

So far, reports about the rest of SHINee's involvement with the tributes have been met with fan concern. The four singers have kept a low profile since Jonghyun passed with Key and Jinki being the only ones to release official statements about the loss. In the wake of Jonghyun's death, SM Entertainment cleared the band's upcoming schedules while groups like EXO and TVXQ moved forward with their concerts.

This week, MBC did pay tribute to Jonghyun on its weekly music awards program. A brief clip of the singer ended the program while current idols bowed in honor of Jonghyun's memory.

Kim Jonghyun passed early last week on December 18. The singer was found dead after an apparent suicide attempt. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Jonghyun was declared dead upon arrival. The singer, who had spoken openly about his struggles with mental health, left a suicide note with a close friend which was released upon his passing. At the request of Jonghyun's family, the singer was laid to rest in a private burial following an extended mortuary which fans and idols alike visited.

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