K-pop singer Lee Jihan dies in mass panic in South Korea

Lee Jihan, a K-pop singer and actor, was among those killed in the crush in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday.

On Sunday, 935 Entertainment and 9Ato Entertainment, the star’s management companies, confirmed the news. He was 24.

“We are saddened to share such news today, but Lee Jihan passed away in the crush in Itaewon last night,” the statement said, reports Entertainment Tonight. “We would like to express our deepest condolences to his family, who are saddened by the sudden tragic news, as well as to everyone who loved him.”

Jihan, born on August 3, 1998, made his first big step in the Korean entertainment industry by participating in the second season of the Korean singing competition Produce 101, in which 101 K-pop hopefuls competed for a spot in an 11-member boy band. He later transitioned into acting in 2019, starring in the television show Today Was Another Nam Hyun Day.

More than 150 people were killed in the crush in Itaewon, at least 132 others were presumably injured and 37 are in critical condition. Authorities fear that the death toll will continue to rise. According to Choi Seong-beom, chief of the Yongsan Fire Department in Seoul, those killed and injured were mostly teenagers and people in their twenties.

The Korean government has declared a national mourning until November 5. In light of the tragedy, numerous K-pop music releases and events have been canceled or postponed.