K-pop star Kim Jong-hyun died Monday in Seoul. He was 27.
Known to fans as Jonghyun, the lead singer of K-pop group SHINee was reportedly found unconscious in his apartment after his sister contacted police with concerns about his well being.
"On December 18, 2017 at 4:42 PM Jong-Hyun's older sister reported to police that her brother was about to commit suicide," read a statement from police. "We went to his residence in Chungdam and discovered that he had attempted to commit suicide.
"Emergency responders were with us at the time so we rushed him to the Konkuk University Hospital in a state of cardiac arrest."
The Korea Herald reported that a frying pan of burning coal was found in the apartment.
Jonghyun’s last performances were in Seoul only weeks ago.
Jonghyun had been a vocal supporter of LGBT rights for several years, drawing fire from conservatives in Korea. "I feel a great sense of loss in this world where we don’t admit differences," he once wrote in a message shared via Twitter.
SHINhee was formed in 2008 and enjoyed massive success in both Korea and Japan. As a solo artist, he released an EP in 2015 and the album She Is in 2016.