K-Pop star Yohan has passed away at the age of 28, it has been confirmed.
The South Korean star, whose real name was Kim Jeong-hwan, died on Tuesday, June 16, several Korean news outlets have announced.
Yohan was a member of the boy band TST (formerly known as Top Secret), who released their most recent single in January.
Yohan’s loss is the latest tragedy to strike K-Pop following three toher young stars’ deaths over the past nine months.
Singer and actor Cha In Ha, 27, was found dead in December – the third death to hit the industry in seven weeks following the loss of Goo Hara, 28, in November and Sulli, 25, who took her own life in October.
Tragic: K-Pop star Yohan has passed away at the age of 28, it has been confirmed
The cause of Yohan’s death has not yet been revealed.
Yohan’s wake is being held at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, and he will be moved to a cemetery in Yongin on June 18, according to local reports.
TST’s label, KJ Music Entertainment issued a statement confirming the news to local outlets, writing: ‘We are sad to relay the most unfortunate, sorrowful news.
‘Back on June 16, TST member Yohan left this world. The late Yohan’s family is currently in deep mourning.
‘The family has pleaded that media articles about Yohan’s passing, such as those making speculations about the cause of his death, be refrained out of respect.’
‘We express our deepest condolences in light of Yohan’s final parting,’
Yohan first found fame in 2015 as part of the group NOM, then joined TST (Top Secret) in 2017 after his first group disbanded.
TST released their fourth single album, Countdown, in January 2020 and the band had been busy promoting their track in recent months.
Fans have been leaving messages on TST’s Instagram account, which shared a picture celebrating his birthday on April 16.
South Korean singer Lee Kiseop wrote in a comment: ‘I love you a lot, Yohan… I miss you.’
Yohan’s loss is the latest tragedy to strike K-Pop following a series of young stars’ deaths in 2019.
Singer and actor Cha In Ha, 27, was found dead in December – the third death to hit the industry in seven weeks following the loss of Goo Hara, 28, in November and Sulli, 25, a month earlier..
Hara had been subjected to vicious attacks online about her relationships with men, local media said.
Sulli meanwhile had spoken out against cyber-bullying, after becoming the target of criticism when she spoke publicly about not wearing a bra in the conservative K-pop industry.
She was close friends with Jonghyun, 27, a singer with SHINee, who took his life in December 2017.
In December K-pop star Kang Daniel suspended all future performances due to his struggles with depression and panic attacks in another incident to draw attention to the industry’s dark side.
Alongside the tragic deaths, other big names in the industry have been hit by scandal.
In March 2019 Lee Seung-hyun, a member of K-pop band Big Bang who goes by the stage name Seungri, was charged with providing prostitutes to foreign investors at his private club.
The in June of last year, Yang Hyun-suk, founder of YG Entertainment, which managed Seungri and other K-pop artists, stepped down from his duties as chief producer, in the wake of drug and sex scandals.
In November musician Jung Joon-young was sentenced to six years in prison for raping a woman and distributing a video showing the act. Choi Jong-hoon, 30, a former member of South Korean boy band FT Island, was sentenced to five years prison for the rape of the woman. Both men were members of online chat groups that shared secret sex videos and made jokes about drugging and raping women, the court said.
Loss: Yohan was a member of the boy band TST (formerly known as Top Secret), who released their most recent single in January
Singer: The South-Korean star, whose real name was Kim Jeong-hwan, died on Tuesday, June 16, Korean news outlets have announced
Tributes: K-Pop fans flooded Twitter with memories and messages of condolences
Sad: Yohan’s loss is the latest tragedy to strike K-Pop and the South Korean entertainment industry in recent months. Korean actor Cha In Ha died at the age of 27 in December.
A former K-pop idol opened up about the dark side of the multi-billion dollar industry in an interview with Australia’s Today show back in December.
Heo Minsun, professionally known by her stage name Way, was part of the South Korean girl group Crayon Pop from 2012 to 2017.
Speaking to the morning show, the 29-year-old said that she was cut off from friends and family and barely earned any money during her time in the chart-topping group.
‘I had to sacrifice a lot, like I couldn’t meet my family and friends, I didn’t earn money a lot,’ she said. ‘I wanted to escape from that life,’ she added.
RIP: Cha’s death came just a week after K-pop singer Goo Hara, 28, (left) was also found dead at her apartment in Seoul following a suicide attempt six months previously (pictured in 2016). On October 14, K Pop star Sulli (right) was found dead at her home in Seongnam, Seoul,
Crayon Pop skyrocketed to fame in 2013 with the release of their third single, Bar Bar Bar.
The song’s music video went viral and turned Crayon Pop into overnight superstars.
At the height of their popularity, they opened up for Lady Gaga’s Artpop tour in North America and performed at the Sydney Opera House.
The group officially called it quits in 2017, and Way now works as a popular YouTuber.
K-pop companies are notorious for being extremely strict, with young performers, known as idols, usually banned from dating or owning a mobile phone.
They also work long hours, spending hours each day performing or rehearsing, often on little sleep.
K-pop star Kang Daniel suspended all future performances due to his struggles with depression and panic attacks in December
Many K-pop stars face tremendous pressure to look and behave perfectly in an industry powered by so-called ‘fandoms’ – groups of well-organised admirers who spend enormous amounts of time and money to help their favoured stars climb up the charts and attack their perceived rivals.
In return, the stars are expected to tread carefully in an industry where today’s most-fervent fans can be tomorrow’s most vicious critics if their idols fail to meet their expectations – or ‘betray’ them.
Drug use or drunken driving are seen as career-breakers, while behaviour that causes a ‘stir’ – anything from a social media gaffe to a failure to smile ceaselessly at public appearances – could be criticised for years.
‘I had to sacrifice a lot’: Way, from the South Korean girl group Crayon Pop, opened up about the dark side of the K-pop industry in an interview with the Today show in December