Lee Jihan, Ok-Pop singer and actor, lifeless in South Korea crowd crush – Nationwide

A South Korean singer and actor is among the many greater than 150 individuals lifeless after a crowd surge throughout Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korea.

Lee Jihan was celebrating Halloween within the Itaewon neighbourhood on Saturday when chaos ensued on the intensely overcrowded streets, inflicting a crowd crush. He was 24 years previous.

The group surge — which killed greater than 153 individuals, together with 26 foreigners as of Monday morning — is the worst catastrophe in South Korea’s latest historical past.

Lee’s businesses, 935 Leisure and 9Ato Leisure, each confirmed the star’s loss of life in a public statement. With plain textual content on a black background, the assertion, which is in Korean, learn: “We’re unhappy to ship such information at present, however Lee Jihan has handed away within the crush in Itaewon final night time.”

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Canadian amongst these injured in Seoul crowd surge

“We wish to specific our deepest condolences to his household, who’re saddened by the sudden tragic information, additionally to everybody who cherished him,” the assertion continued.

Lee’s company additionally mentioned he was “a candy and heat pal to all” who had a “vibrant smile” and “ardour for performing.”

Lee rose to recognition after he appeared as a contestant on the Korean TV program Produce 101, a singing competitors the place hopefuls battled for certainly one of 11 spots in a brand new Korean boyband. He auditioned with a canopy of EXO’s Overdose.

He additionally carried out INFINITE’s Be Mine alongside a number of different rivals on Produce 101. 

Although Lee didn’t win the competitors, he garnered a substantial fanbase after the present.

Lee later used his new recognition to earn an performing position within the Ok-Drama At this time Was One other Namhyun Day.

Saturday’s catastrophe was concentrated in a sloped, slender alley, with witnesses and survivors recalling a “hell-like” chaos with individuals falling on one another like dominoes. They mentioned the complete Itaewon space was jammed with slow-moving automobiles and partygoers clad in Halloween costumes, making it not possible for rescuers and ambulances to succeed in the crammed alleys in time.

Halloween festivities in Itaewon don’t have any official organizers. South Korean police mentioned Monday they don’t have any particular procedures for dealing with incidents equivalent to crowd surges throughout an occasion that has no organizers.

Greater than 80 per cent of the lifeless have been of their 20s or 30s and 11 have been youngsters, the South Korean Inside Ministry mentioned.

The group surge was South Korea’s deadliest catastrophe since 2014, when 304 individuals, largely highschool college students, died in a ferry sinking.

In accordance with the web site AllKPop, Lee’s funeral will happen on Tuesday.

— With recordsdata from The Related Press 

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