It’s a sad day for K-pop fans. Kim Jong-hyun, better known by his stage name, Jonghyun, died on Dec. 18. after suffering from cardiac arrest in the Konkuk University Hospital after his older sister called police around 4:42 p.m. fearing that the 27-year-old was attempting suicide. We’ve now learned why she was so concerned: the SHINee singer sent her a troubling message before his death. “It’s been too hard. Please send me off. Tell everyone I’ve had a hard time. This is my last goodbye,” the message said according to local reports, as reported by Daily Mail.
When responders to the call arrived at his home in the Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea, they found the singer unconscious, and police confirmed that it appeared he tried to kill himself with coal briquettes lit inside a frying pan. It’s believed that his official cause of death was from carbon monoxide poisoning, but it won’t be confirmed until his autopsy is complete.
Fans of the vocalist’s Korean boy band are absolutely devastated by his untimely death. Jonghyun quickly became a top trending topic on Twitter after fans started pouring out their tributes to him. Many of them pointed out that this is unfortunately a perfect example of how fans never really know what their favorite artists are going through in their personal lives. “Mental illness is not a joke,” one person wrote. “My sincere deepest condolences to Jonghyun’s family, friends, SHINee members shawols. Today the world lost one of his brightest stars with one of the most angelical voices. Rest in peace Jonghyun, you will always be remembered.”
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