K-pop singer Goo Hara left handwritten note 'pessimistic about life' in apartment where her body was found
K-pop singer and actress Goo Hara left a handwritten, "pessimistic" note before her death. The information was released by police officials a day after the former member of the popular South Korean girl group Kara was found dead, reports state. The tragedy occurred soon after she launched an anti-cyberbullying campaign following her suicide attempt earlier this year.
The commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Lee Yong-Pyo, on Monday, said: "A handwritten note that was pessimistic about her life was found on a living room table." Hara had also posted a final "goodnight" message on Instagram before she was found dead, the Daily Mail reported.
The 28-year-old star's death saw dozens of her fans, and colleagues gathering at her funeral home to relay their condolences. A fan, identified as 20-year-old student Kim Nam-gun, said: "It is so sad that she had to suffer from vicious, inhumane comments at such a young age just because she was a celebrity."
The K-pop star was discovered in the affluent Cheongdam-dong area of Seoul, South Korea, at around 6 pm local time on Sunday. The investigations into the circumstances of her death are ongoing, according to Gangnam police.
Hara had reportedly staged a comeback tour in Japan from November 14 to 19 for her new solo single after she attempted suicide at her apartment in Seoul in May. She reportedly pleaded with her fans for more positive social media comments after her hospitalization and had spoken out against cyberbullying in the following days.
Many young stars in South Korea have become victims of cyberbullying and intense pressures of the limelight in the controversial K-pop industry. Another former girl band member, 25-year-old Sulli — a close friend of Hara's — was found dead at her apartment after she battled with "severe depression."
Hara, before her suicide attempt earlier this year, had left her fans in a frenzy after she wrote "Goodbye" on her Instagram in May. Authorities eventually discovered her unresponsive at her apartment just after midnight on May 30 and she was rushed to the hospital.
"I am sorry for causing concerns and a commotion," Hara told Sankei Sports days after her suicide attempt, "In terms of health, I am recovering ... I had been in agony over a number of overlapping issues. But from now on, I will steel my heart and try to show up healthy."
The singer and actress, since September last year, had been courting controversy in a public row with her ex-boyfriend Choi Jong-Bum. She accused him of blackmailing her with sex tapes the pair had made. She was subsequently questioned by police after claims that she had assaulted Jong-Bum.