K-pop stars carry Jonghyun’s coffin
Six of K-pop's biggest stars carried the coffin of fellow singer Kim Jong Hyun, better known as Jonghyun, to a hearse yesterday, after he died leaving behind a suicide note that spoke of his battle with loneliness and depression.
His body was taken to his funeral from the Asan Medical Centre in Seoul.
The procession was led by one of his bandmates from boy band Shinee dressed in black, bearing a plaque topped by a crucifix and read "Kim Jong Hyun, believer".
His sister followed, crying as she carried a picture of Jonghyun in a dark wooden frame.
The coffin was carried by the three other Shinee members and three from Super Junior, a boy band managed by the same agency, SM Entertainment.
Members of prominent K-pop acts were present, including Girls' Generation, EXO and Red Velvet, bowing their heads and praying, while people at the back sang Christian hymns.
Despite harsh winter weather, weeping fans in jackets, hats, scarves and masks waited outside for the hearse to leave, crying even harder as the black limousine passed them by.
The coffin was taken to a private ceremony at an undisclosed location.
It was not clear whether his remains would be buried or cremated.
Jonghyun, 27, was found in a hotel room in Seoul on Monday in what police said was suicide.
South Korea, a competitive society, has one of the world's highest suicide rates. - AFP
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