SEOUL: A former member of South Korea’s top K-pop girl group was found dead on Sunday, the country’s Yonhap news agency reported citing police. The hashtags #GooHara and #RestInPeace trended on Twitter in the UAE as a result of the news.
The body of Goo Hara, 28, was discovered at her home in southern Seoul, Yonhap said, according to Reuters.
Police were not immediately available for comment.
Goo, better known as Hara in other parts of Asia, had spoken out against cyberbullying. In June, a month after she was found unconscious at her home and hospitalized, she said it was difficult to overcome depression and pleaded for positive comments on social media.
She debuted with the five-member Kara in 2008. It was one of the early girl groups that helped fan the global K-pop wave, building large fan bases in Japan, China and other countries.
After a deal with a South Korean management agency was terminated, Goo launched a career as a solo artist in Japan and held a concert there this month.
Just a month ago, it was Sulli... now her bestfriend too.
REST IN PEACE, GOO HARA. #RIPGooHara pic.twitter.com/HckBaee91z—(@sugabammie) November 24, 2019
Another K-pop star, Sulli, a former member of girl group f(x), who was a close friend of Goo’s and had also spoken out against cyberbullying, also died in October.