cut throat business
Beneath the glitz and glamour, the K-pop industry is also known for its cut-throat competition, lack of privacy, online bullying and public pressure to maintain a good image at all times and at any cost.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed police officer, reported that authorities believe Moon’s death to be a case of apparent suicide.
Several other young K-pop stars have died of suspected suicides in recent years, including Goo Hara, who passed in 2019. She was abused by an ex-boyfriend who, after they separated, blackmailed her over his sex videos.
The suspected suicide comes a month after his close friend, K-pop star Sulli, took his own life after a long struggle with online bullying, calling for tougher punishment for cybercrimes in South Korea.
Sulli’s death also coincided with the death of K-pop star Jonghyun, who took his own life in 2017 after battling depression.
One of Moon’s fans wrote, “The people who smile the most always suffer the most.”
“When the sky shines beautifully we will think of you and when the stars shine we will think of you.”