K-pop influencer Mina Chan dies after distressing livestream
Japanese social media influencer Mina Chan, known for her devotion to K-pop group ENHYPEN, has died after a distressing livestream prompted viewers to alert authorities in South Korea.
South Korean authorities received a report early on 5 August concerning a Japanese woman in her 20s who appeared to be in distress during a livestream, according to reports citing police.
Officers later found the woman dead at her residence in Seoul's Yongsan district. Yongsan Police Station is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death. Police reports cited by local media did not publicly identify the woman, but Chan's family subsequently confirmed her death.
Chan had built a sizable following through posts about K-pop, fashion, beauty and her life in South Korea. People reported that she had more than 300,000 followers on her since-deleted TikTok account and around 150,000 on Instagram.
Before her death, Chan had been the subject of intense criticism within parts of the ENHYPEN fandom following an interaction involving members Sunoo and Ni-ki during an event in the United States.
Chan reportedly attempted to give flowers intended for Ni-ki through Sunoo. The interaction drew criticism online, with some fans accusing her of behaving disrespectfully toward Sunoo or crossing boundaries with the members.
Chan later publicly apologized, saying she regretted taking advantage of Sunoo's kindness and acknowledging that attending multiple ENHYPEN fan events had made her feel closer to the members than she actually was.
The controversy intensified after Ni-ki discussed fans seeking personal attention from the group during a livestream. Some social media users interpreted his remarks as referring to Chan, further fueling criticism against her.
However, neither Ni-ki nor ENHYPEN's agency, BELIFT LAB, has confirmed that his comments were directed at Chan. There is also no established evidence that any ENHYPEN member was responsible for the harassment she received.
Reports said Chan continued to face abusive comments online even after apologizing.
Her family later said she had been deeply hurt by critical comments on social media and urged internet users to consider the impact their posts, words, photos and videos can have on others.
Authorities continue to investigate her death. While several reports have described it as an apparent suicide, investigators have not established that online harassment or the ENHYPEN controversy caused her death.
