Industry comes to a halt after death of Sulli

Singer and actor Sulli was found dead at her residence in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Monday afternoon. Various entertainment and TV events were canceled following the news of her untimely death. [ILGAN SPORTS]

Police found a note written before singer and actor Sulli, whose real name is Choi Jin-ri, took her life on Monday, in which she wrote that she was “suffering,” according to MBC. As the news of the loss spread, many TV and music events were cancelled on Tuesday, including TV shoots and album showcases.

According to MBC, the police found a note that included negative messages about what was upsetting her. Although the police did not reveal the contents of the memo, she reportedly wrote that she was “suffering” and felt depressed.

Sulli was found dead by police, who arrived at the scene on Monday afternoon after being told that she had not been heard of since Sunday evening. Sulli had reportedly suffered from depression for a long time.

Following the news of her untimely death, press and other events were canceled across the entertainment industry. K-pop rock band N.Flying halted their press showcase that was scheduled to be held on Tuesday afternoon, and TV productions, including Mnet’s “Somebody” and Olive’s “Chicken Road” were canceled. The production press conference on the Netflix series “Park Na-rae: Glamour Warning,” which features Park’s stand-up comedy shows, was also canceled.

Fellow stars from SM Entertainment also postponed their schedules. Boy band Super Junior and SuperM canceled live streaming events, while singer Taeyeon announced that she will be postponing the release date of her new upcoming album.

JYP Entertainment rock band DAY6 called off events “to pay their respects.”

Amber, who was a member of girl group f(x) along with Sulli, posted on Instagram, “Due to recent events I’ll be putting on hold my upcoming activities,” on Monday night. She released her latest single “X Part 1” on Sept. 20.

Fellow celebrities expressed their sadness online, expressing their condolences for the late singer. Singer Koo Ha-ra, who was known to be a close friend of Sulli, posted three pictures of them together and wrote, “Whatever you want in that world.”

Other stars including Park Gyu-ri and Kang Ji-young from the girl group Kara, actors Koo Hye-sun, Ahn Jae-hyun, Kwon Min-ah, and Shin Hyun-joon, singers Park Ji-min and Kim Dong-wan and others also posted messages in honor of Sulli.

Shin expressed his anger toward cyber bullies that often plague Korean stars’ lives saying, “Another precious life has left us. You, coward murderers without faces.”

Kim Dong-wan on the other hand reproached entertainment agencies for their simple-minded care of their stars. Kim was signed to SM Entertainment during his earlier years with boy band Shinhwa.

“Young people who can’t eat or sleep properly have to look healthy and happy for the adults who want them to look so. So many papers prove the dangers of anti-depression medicines. [Agencies] should not be recommending such drugs for a quick solution to the problems,” wrote Kim.

The singer’s funeral will be open to the public from noon to 9 p.m. today at Severance Hospital in western Seoul.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]