K-pop star Sulli found dead aged 25

Image copyright
Getty Images

The K-pop star Sulli has died aged 25.

Police told the BBC the singer’s manager found her dead at her home near Seoul, South Korea.

They say they are investigating the cause of her death and are working on the ‎assumption that she may have taken her own life.‎

The star, who had more than five million followers on Instagram, was a former member of the band f(x) until she left in 2015 to focus on her acting career.

Image copyright
Getty Images

Image caption

‎Sulli appeared on a number of TV programmes to describe the online abuse she faced as a celebrity.‎

Some believe the artist, whose real name is Choi Jin-ri, suspended her K-pop work after struggling with the abuse she got online.

She was a “free spirit” according to music journalist Taylor Glasby.

“She was one of the idols who decided to live her life in the way she wanted to and that didn’t always sit well with the general public,” she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

In South Korea, pop stars are called idols.

“For idols, everything is about appearance, everything is quite monitored and she just didn’t [monitor her content]. She was herself”.

“She clapped back and she wouldn’t take people’s narrow-mindedness”.

Image copyright
Han Myung-Gu

Image caption

Sulli released her first solo song this year

Taylor says Sulli’s former band f(x) changed K-pop.

“They were one of the girl groups that didn’t fit in, they did their own thing. Their music was more hard-hitting. It was innovative and complex, and it helped cement an entire sub-genre within K-pop – girl crush.

“When she left, her legacy became being outspoken. It became taking control of her own image. I admired her spirit to do so despite the constant negativity that was directed at her by some less open minded citizens.”‎

Sulli’s former f(x) bandmate, Amber Liu, has posted her shock at what’s happened.

Sulli was known for being controversial. She unashamedly told her fans that they had a choice about ‎how to display their bodies. ‎

She was involved in the so-called “no bra” scandal where she showed her nipples on a number of ‎occasions.

The first pictures appeared on her Instagram account in May 2016 and she faced a huge ‎amount of abuse on social media.

Last month her breasts were shown by accident during a live ‎Instagram stream – which again caused controversy in conservative South Korea.

Sulli was good friends with K-pop star Jonghyun, who took his own life aged 27.

The artist paid tribute at his funeral in 2017.

Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here.



Source link