South Korea: Third K-pop star found dead within two months

South Korean pop star and actor Cha In Ha died at the age of 27. He was found dead in his house. This reported the "Guardian", citing the South Korean talent agency Fantagio. Cha In Ha (his real name is Lee Jae-ho) is already the third K-pop star who was found dead within two months. In November, the K-pop singer Goo Hara died a few weeks after the death of her close friend and fellow singer Sulli at home.

The death of both artists was an indication of the "poisoned" fan culture in Korea. Both artists were bullied on the internet. Sulli was one of the few K-pop stars to speak openly about her mental health problems, her death caused a wave of emotional support for Korean young artists. In October, Goo posted a live video on Instagram, saying goodbye to her friend Sulli in tears. Sulli was also a well-known K-pop singer who committed suicide. "I will live and work intensively for both of us," she said, and "I hope you can live up there the way you want".

Enormous pressure

Cha's talent agency Fantagio said it was "full of grief over these messages that are still hard to believe". A spokesman said, "We demand that rumors not be spread and that speculative reports not be published." His family was in great sadness because of the sudden news and wanted to say goodbye. Cha had recently started an acting career, playing in 2017 in the short film "You, Deep Inside of Me" and the TV drama "Love With Flaws".

The deaths also highlighted the problem of Molka, a practice where women are filmed in obscurity so the footage can be uploaded to the Internet. In 2018, Goo brought her ex-boyfriend to court after threatening to publish explicit footage of them that was shot without her consent.

The deaths have thrown a light on K-pop stars. Earlier this year, the hugely successful K-pop-boy band BTS began a month-long break. Management said the break would allow them to "enjoy their normal lives as normal young men at the age of 20". According to the Guardian, the band contributes $ 3.5 billion annually to the South Korean economy, according to the Hyundai Research Institute for South Korean Economy.