Lee Ji-han killed in crowd surge
Lee Ji-han was killed in the crowd surge tragedy in South Korea over the weekend.
The K-pop singer-and-actor was one of 154 people who lost their lives in the horrific incident during Halloween celebrations in Itaewon, Seoul, on Saturday (29.10.22), his agents have confirmed.
The 24-year-old star’s agency, 935 Entertainment, said in a statement released on Sunday (30.10.22): “We are sad to deliver such news today, but Lee Ji-han has passed away in the crush in Itaewon last night. We would like to express our deepest condolences to his family, who are saddened by the sudden tragic news, also to everyone who loved him.”
“Lee Ji-han brightly smiled when greeting us all the time. He had pure and positive energy with great passion for acting. It is very hard to believe that we cannot see him anymore. Please send your warm goodbye to Lee Ji-han. He’ll always be remembered.”
The young performer first found fame when he competed on the second season of reality competition ‘Produce 101’, which sees 101 contestants vying for the chance to secure a place in an 11-member band.
He then made a foray into acting in 2019, landing a role in the popular Korean drama series ‘Today Was Another Nam Hyun Day’.
While 154 people have been declared dead since the crowd surge on the streets of Itaewon, over 80 more were reported injured, 33 of them seriously, and thousands of missing person reports have been filed.
The vast majority of those injured or killed in the crush – which occurred during the city’s first unmasked Halloween celebration in three years – were in their teens or early 20s.
President Yook Suk-yeol has declared a period of national mourning will take place until 5 November.
