K-Pop Superstar Goo Hara Tragically Found Dead At 28 — What We Know
Rest in peace, Goo Hara.
Instagram How did Goo Hara die?
That's the question that's been on everybody's mind since the K-Pop songstress was found dead in her home in Seoul, Korea, on Sunday, November 24, at the age of 28.
Goo Hara's death has also caused a moment of reflection for people in the K-Pop community, and in Korea as a whole.
Sometimes known only as Hara, Goo Hara originally came to fame as a member of the South Korean girl group Kara.
She joined the group in 2008 after Kim Sing-Hee left the group, and her fame in Kara led to a spot on the Korean reality show "Invincible Youth."
From there, she went on to have a successful acting and singing career that included appearances in TV shows (like "City Hunter") and doing a collaboration for a film with Japanese musician and songwriter Fukuyama Masaharu.
But now that she's passed away, let's look at what we know about how Goo Hara died.
1. She'd tried to take her own life six months priot to her death.
Goo Hara struggled with mental health throughout her accomplished but short life. Six months before she was found dead in Seoul, South Korea, Hara was found unconscious in her home in what authorities called a suicide attempt.
Additionally, she was also taken to the hospital in May, which she later said was due to her being in "agony over overlapping issues."
2. Goo Hara took Sulli's death by suicide hard.
When K-Pop superstar Sulli was found dead in her home in October, Goo Hara did not take the news well at all.
She took to a live video stream on social media where she promised to "live hard and work for [her]" and subsequently bawled her eyes out.
3. She was trying to launch a comeback tour.
Just before she was found dead in her home, Goo Hara was actively trying to launch a comeback tour.
She was in Japan from November 14 to 19 to promote her new single "Midnight Queen"and seemed to be in overall positive spirits. She had signed with a Japanese record company in June and was reportedly happy during the times she spent in that country.
Sponichi Annex, a Japanese media company claims that Goo Hara confessed that she "felt depressed" whenever she went to Korea.
4. Goo Hara was also the victim of revenge porn and cyberbullying.
This is just awful. Goo Hara's ex-boyfriend, Choi Jong Bum (emphasis on the bum), was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm, blackmail, coercion, destruction and damage of property, and a host of other crimes after he threatened to release an intimate video of himself with the K-Pop star, a criminal act referred to as revenge porn or non-consensual pornography.
"The crime that arose from something minor has left the victim, a female celebrity, with scars that will never heal. The crime of threatening to expose [a sex video of] a significant other based on a grudge should be given severe punishment, regardless of whether the victim is a celebrity or not," said the prosecution in the so-called 'Goo Hara revenge porn case.'
5. Her official cause of death is not yet known.
South Korean police have not yet released the cause of Goo Hara's death, and made it clear that an official cause of death was still pending further investigation.
However, on November 25, the Gangnam Police Department announced they were closing the case, "[taking] into consideration the family’s testimonies and the surrounding situations to conclude that it was unlikely a homicide."
6. Goo Hara left behind a cryptic note and sad Instagram post, leaving people to speculate that she'd died of suicide.
"A handwritten note that was pessimistic about her life was found on a living room table,” Lee Yong-pyo, commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said.
In addition, Goo Hara left behind an Instagram post with a simple caption — "Goodbye" — as her final post.
These two things, combined, left fans to wonder if indeed she'd died of suicide.
Regardless, our thoughts are with Goo Hara's friends, family, and fans during this difficult time.
We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to speak confidentially to a trained crisis worker.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series and is the CEO of the acclaimed G-Force Marketing & Publicity firm, which has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter and has scored film, television, radio, and print placements for celebrity clientele worldwide.