'Very hard to believe': K-Pop star Sulli, 25, found dead at home
A former member of top South Korean girl group f(x) has been found dead, authorities say.
The body of Choi Jin-ri, better known by her stage name Sulli, 25, was discovered at her home on Monday in Seongnam, south of the capital, Seoul.
“Her manager visited her home after failing to reach her since their last call the night before,” police said in a statement.
Sulli, 25, was grappling with severe depression, police said. They did not elaborate.
The former pop star debuted with the five-member f(x) as a 14-year-old in 2009 which became one of the most popular girl groups in South Korea and helped fuel the global K-pop craze.
Sulli left the group in 2015 after being targeted by relentless online bullies, and launched a career as a solo singer and actress.
She re-launched her music career last year as a solo performer, and debuted her album Goblin in June this year.
Most recently, she appeared on a television program in which K-pop stars discussed their experiences with malevolent online comments.
In one interview she detailed her struggle with mental illness, saying she had “panic disorder ever since I was young”.
Her management at SM Entertainment said her death had been “very hard to believe and sorrowful”, according to The Sun.
Police are investigating circumstances surrounding her death, and are reportedly working on the assumption she took her own life.
Sulli was understood to be close friends with fellow K-pop star Jonghyun who died aged 27 after taking his own life two years ago.
- with Reuters
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