K-pop Influencer Mina Chan Dies at 26 After Facing Online Backlash

Mina Chan, a 26-year-old Japanese K-pop influencer and fan of ENHYPEN, has died in South Korea in what police are investigating as an apparent suicide. Chan had more than 80,000 followers on TikTok.

According to the Korea Herald, police found Chan dead at her residence in Seoul at about 5:33 a.m. on Aug. 5 after receiving a report from an acquaintance. Reports said she had been livestreaming on TikTok at the time.

Chan had recently faced intense criticism from some ENHYPEN fans following an incident at the group’s concert in the United States last month. She had tried to have member Sunoo pass flowers to fellow member Ni-ki, who is also Japanese. Some fans accused her of crossing boundaries.

On July 31, Chan apologized in a lengthy post on X, saying she had mistakenly believed she was closer to the group’s members than she actually was. She also said she regretted prioritizing her wish to meet Ni-ki during the concert.

Despite her apology, Chan reportedly continued to receive hateful messages online.

Her younger sister confirmed Chan’s death in an Instagram Story the following day, describing her as “kind and warm to everyone she met” and asking people to remember her in their thoughts and prayers.

Following Chan’s death, supporters posted condolences on her social media accounts and criticized the online harassment she had faced. One follower described the abuse within the fandom as “genuinely disgusting” and urged others to distinguish harassment from genuine support for the artists.