South Korean pop star and actress Sulli was found dead on Monday, October 14. She was 25.
Police confirmed to CNN that Sulli’s manager discovered her on the second floor of her house in Sujeong-gu, Seongnam, near Seoul, South Korea. The manager spoke with the singer on Sunday, October 13, but was unable to reach her by phone for several hours on Monday, so he went to check on her.
“So far, it seems she killed herself, but we will leave all possibilities open and investigate,” a police spokesperson told CNN.
Seongnam Sujeong Police Department official Kim Seong-Tae confirmed to the Associated Press that there were no signs of foul play and that authorities did not find a suicide note at the scene.
The investigation is still underway and an official cause of death has yet to be determined.
Sulli’s agency, SM Entertainment, called the news “very hard to believe and sorrowful” in a statement to the AP.
Sulli (real name Choi Jin-ri) was a child actress before she started her singing career in 2009 as one of the four members of the K-pop girl group f(x). She left the band in 2015 to return to acting, but eventually continued releasing music as a solo artist. Her most recent song, “Goblin,” came out in June.
Sulli acted in several South Korean TV dramas, such as Ballad of Seodong and To the Beautiful You. Her most recent movie credits included The Pirates, Fashion King and Real.
The entertainer was famously outspoken about her feminist beliefs in traditionally conservative South Korea. She recently appeared on a TV show to speak out against the online backlash she had faced.
In recent years, multiple K-pop stars have spoken out about their mental health struggles and the pressures placed upon them in the genre. SHINee lead singer Jonghyun died by suicide at age 27 in December 2017, and former Kara member Goo Hara attempted suicide in May.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
