Another K-Pop Star Is Dead

Goo Hara, a K-pop solo artist, actress, and onetime member of the group Kara, was found dead at home in Seoul on Sunday. Police did not release a cause of death. Her last communication was a "goodnight" post on Instagram on Saturday night, Newsweek reports. Hara, 28, had attempted suicide earlier this year after an ex-boyfriend had threatened her with violence and the release of a sex video. She was hospitalized at the time, and her agency dropped her. Hara signed with a Japanese agency, resumed working in Japan, and released a single there this month, per Variety. Before starting her solo career, she was in the girl group Kara from 2008 to 2015.

Her death is the latest sign of rampant trouble among K-pop stars, who are under tremendous pressure. Hara, who apologized publicly after her suicide attempt, was friends with Sulli, an actress and singer who killed herself in October. A male star, Jonghyun, committed suicide in 2017. "I had been in agony over a number of overlapping issues," Hara said after her release from the hospital. "But from now on, I will steel my heart and try to show up healthy." Fans mourned online Sunday. "You can rest now, Goo Hara," one posted. Another said: "K-pop idols are humans too. They get hurt." (More K-Pop stories.)