KOCOWA Miss You, Jonghyun

Kim Jong-hyun was born on April 8, 1990. He would grow up to be one of South Korea’s most famous and beloved singers. And when he died by suicide two years ago on December 18, 2017, his face would be on the news worldwide. No one knew the extent of his pain, but the SHINee singer was a shining star who worked hard to do his best every day for as long as he could.

Known professionally simply as Jonghyun, the artistic and soulful K-pop star was just 27 years old when he perished. As Shawols (the fandom’s name) paid their respects to the beloved musician’s family, friends and bandmates, they comforted each other as well, sharing photos, music, anecdotes and tears.

This year, Jonghyun’s management company (SM Entertainment) paid homage to the late singer with an ethereal black and white image and the words, “We love you,” written in Hangul.

His friend Sojin, who worked on music with Jonghyun, shared a photo with the simple words, “Are you doing well?”

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Jonghyun entrusted his good friend Nain9 to share his final words with the public. Nain9 consulted with Jonghyun’s family before sharing the note. (His mother’s hope was that Jonghyun’s story would encourage other people who were suffering from depression to seek help.)

“I am broken from the inside,” he wrote. “The depression that gnawed on me slowly has finally engulfed me entirely and I can’t defeat it anymore. Please tell me I did a good job and that I’ve worked hard. Goodbye.”

Besides his work with SHINee, Jonghyun’s legacy includes  “Poet | Artist,” which was released posthumously in January 2018. His family used the proceeds from that album to found the Shinin Foundation, which aims to help young artists who may be struggling with their own mental health issues. In an interview with Esquire Korea, his mother, Lee Eun-kyung, said that the love fans have for his music helped ease the pain of losing her child. The foundation takes it name from “Shinin’,” a single featured on “Poet | Artist,” and also his group’s name.

Jonghyun, you did so very well. May you rest in peace.

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