South Korean trot singer Haesoo dies 

Trigger warning: suicide

MANILA, Philippines – South Korean trot singer Haesoo – whose real name is Kim Ara – died on Friday, May 12 aged 29, Korean media reported on Monday, May 15.

Yongsan, Seoul police found her body at home alongside a presumed suicide note allegedly written by her. In a statement, Haesoo’s official fan café Haesoopia shared the “heartbreaking and sad news” that Haesoo has “left our side and became a light in the vast ocean.”

“Haesoo was a warm person who knew how to give love to those around her, share affection, and receive it,” Haesoopia wrote. Haesoopia announced that the bereaved family will be holding a small, private funeral, and requested that fans would “refrain from spreading speculation, malicious reports, and rumors so that the deeply saddened bereaved family may mourn and peacefully send off the deceased.”

Haesoo studied Korean traditional music in college and debuted in 2019 as a trot singer, which is an upbeat genre of K-pop influenced by the “foxtrot,” known for its repetitive rhythms, vocal inflections, and two-beat elements. She released her first mini album My Life, Me in November 2019.

She made recent appearances on KBS shows Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend and Boss in the Mirror. – Rappler.com

The Department of Health, through the National Center for Mental Health, has a national crisis hotline to assist people with mental health concerns. The hotline can be reached at 1553, which is a Luzon-wide, toll-free landline number, 0917-899-8727 and 0966-351-4518 for Globe and TM subscribers, and 0908-639-2672 for Smart and Sun subscribers.