South Korean actor and K-Pop singer Lee Jihan has been confirmed to be among those who were victims of the Halloween crowd surge that led to the death of more than 150 people.
The management of the South Korean singer named 935 Entertainment confirmed the new development to South Korean news outlets. Lee Jihan was around 24 years when this event happened.
On Instagram, the management agency posted in confirmation of the tragic news saying, "we are sad to deliver such news today, but Lee Jihan has passed away from the crush in Itaewon last night."
"We would like to express our deepest condolences to his family, who are saddened by the sudden tragic news, and also to everyone who loved him. Lee Jihan brightly smiled when greeting us all the time. He has pure and positive energy with a great passion for acting. It is very hard to believe that we cannot see anymore. Please send your warm goodbye to Lee Jihan. He will always be remembered," the management of the K-Pop Singer said.
According to South Korean news outlets, the actor's funeral is being held today, the 1st of November, 2022.
Lee Jihan is a household name within every country's South Korean community. He rose to the limelight after competing in the second season of the South Korean singing competition, Produce 101.
The singing competition allowed singers to compete for a spot in a boy band. The K-Pop singer didn't do singing alone. He starred in the 2019 comedy series, Today Was Another Nam Hyun Day.
The news of the death of the K-Pop singer took his fans by surprise as they had expected the Halloween celebrations in South Korea to go as planned. Several fans have expressed their disappointment and condolences on social media, especially Twitter.
One of his fans wrote on Twitter, "At first I didn't believe that Lee Jihan was one of the victims of the Itaewon tragedy, after not searching further, I still didn't believe it, until the agency finally informed me that the news was true, then it was really down, crying in the middle of the night. May you rest in peace, Oppa."
More Details About the Itaewon Tragedy
The South Korean Halloween crowd surge happened in Itaewon, with not less than 140 people dying from the internet. The South Korean police and local forces have already started investigations to determine what caused the stampede.
South Korean news outlets have reported that the country has gone into a week-long mourning period for those who died in the unfortunate event. Less than two United States citizens and 26 foreign nationals were the surge victims.
The reason behind the stampede is still unclear, although South Korean authorities have already started investigations that determine what happened.
From the information South Korea's Ministry of Education provided, nearly all the event victims have been identified, including celebrities such as Lee Jihan. Also, about six school students were caught up in the event, with one still in middle school.