Today, the K-pop fandom is mourning the loss of one of its own. News reports came from South Korea earlier today which confirmed actress-singer Sulli has passed away. She was 25 years old.
According to reports by Variety and more, Sulli was found dead at her home in Seoul on Monday. Her manager discovered her body and contacted police. The manager told police Sulli, who was born as Choi Jin-ri, did suffer from depression. Currently, reports say police are “working on the assumption” Sulli committed suicide, but no official word has been given on the investigation at this point.
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For those unaware of Sulli, the star got her start in entertainment back in 2005 as a child actress. She was then scouted by SM Entertainment where she trained to become a singer. She debuted in the girl group f(x) for years until 2014. It was then Sulli informed fans she had become the victim of cyber-bullying, and she chose to leave f(x) in 2015 to focus on acting and her solo career.
Recently, Sulli was working on several popular shows in South Korea. She filmed a role in Hotel Del Luna not long ago and was set to star in Persona, one of Netflix’s original K-dramas.
As news of Sulli’s death has spread, fans from all over the world have sent their condolences to her loved ones. The star has been trending worldwide on social media as tributes continue pouring in. For some fans, it is enough to simply thank Sulli for all the joy she brought to their lives. Others wished her well in death, and some did echo back to another devastating K-pop death. In 2017, fans were shocked to learn SHINee member Jonghyun had committed suicide, and Sulli’s close friendship with the singer was well known.
In light of Sulli’s passing, the K-pop industry has reacted with a slew of event cancellations. Amber, a former member of f(x), shared her decision to postpone all of her upcoming events for the time being. SM Entertainment artists like Super Junior and SuperM have cancelled planned streams. Other groups like Seventeen, N.Flying, BTOB, SF9, and others have cleared their schedules in order to mourn Sulli’s sudden passing. SM Entertainment also released a statement about Sulli, and you can read the entire message below:
“This is SM Entertainment. We are sorry to tell everyone the sorrowful and sad news. Sulli has left us. We cannot believe the situation, and we are simply in a state of grief.
Please refrain from spreading speculative articles or rumors in respect of the bereaved’s family who are saddened by the sudden tragedy. We express our deepest condolences to the deceased, who went on their final path.”
