According to Korean media such as Yonhap and the North Korea Daily, a Japanese online celebrity in her 20s who lives in South Korea committed suicide during a live broadcast on August 5 local time. She had previously suffered online harassment after interacting at a signing event for the South Korean boy group ENHYPEN.
According to netizens and media reports, the woman’s online username is “Mina”. She is 26 years old and has approximately 80,000 followers. She is a well-known “fan girl” of Rie Sashimi, a Japanese member of ENHYPEN.
At around 5:33 a.m. that day, the South Korean police received a report stating that a Japanese woman in her 20s attempted to commit suicide in an apartment hotel on Hangang Road in Dongnaeong District, Seoul. At the time of the incident, a acquaintance of the woman reported to the police, saying, "My friend tried to commit suicide during a live broadcast." Some netizens also posted messages on platforms like X asking for the police's assistance.
While the police were making an operation, Mina completely collapsed in front of countless negative comments during her live broadcast. She committed suicide in front of everyone. The entire process of her choosing to end her life was broadcast through the live broadcast. At the end of the video, the police broke in and ended the live broadcast.
Seoul Ryongnam Police Station is investigating the exact circumstances of the woman's death.
Mina (Right) and West Village's Force Photo Together Website
"Stands" originated from Korean fan culture, referring to the core managers of idol fanbases. They often carry professional long-zoom cameras and follow idols' schedules to take high-quality photos and videos that are posted on social platforms for promotional purposes and fan viewing.
Mina often attended ENHYPEN's book signings in the past. Almost all members of the group recognized her, but some fans were dissatisfied with her "high-profile" fan-following behavior. They pointed out that she had worked in a hotel before, and accused her of "using dirty money to follow stars."
According to reports, at ENHYPEN’s concert in late July this year, Mina tried to hand over sunflower props to member Sunwoo and asked him to pass them on to Lee Seung-min, but she failed to do so. As a result, she was criticized by some fans for her actions, which they said were “disrespectful of the members” and “an attempt to draw attention at the concert”.
Mina's last live broadcast before her death, during which she experienced several emotional breakdowns. Video screenshots
Soon after, Rik Saito mentioned in a live broadcast that “some fans just desperately try to draw attention and seek likes, which is regrettable.” This statement was quickly interpreted by some extreme fans as an accusation against Mina, leading them to believe that Mina had initiated a large-scale online harassment campaign. Mina later posted a statement apologizing online and announced her departure from the fan community. However, the online harassment continued even after her last live broadcast.
