24-Year-Old K-Pop Singer and Actor Lee Jihan Has Tragically Passed Away
Published Oct. 31 2022, 12:37 p.m. ET
With some of the most devout fanbases out of any genre of music, K-Pop acts have quickly risen to superstar status on the international stage over the last few years. Naturally, listeners are always searching for what's next, and in 2017 they found exactly that in Lee Jihan, then a competitor on the popular Korean boy band competition series Produce 101.
As time went on, Lee's fame naturally grew a substantial amount through work on television as well as in music.
The 24-year-old entertainer died tragically on Oct. 29, 2022, in a freak accident, but what was his specific cause of death? Let's unpack all of the known details.
What was Lee Jihan's cause of death?
In an official statement released by 935 Entertainment and 9Ato Entertainment, who represented Lee, the two companies explained that the singer was killed in the recent Itaewon crowd crush tragedy.
The crowd surge took place in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 29, 2022, and 154 people died, per the New York Times. The specific cause of the crowd surge has not been revealed as of the time of writing.
Lee, who was born on Aug. 3, 1998, burst onto the entertainment scene through his participation in Produce 101, a hit boy band competition show, in 2017. Through fan-favorite moments on the show such as a cover of the EXO track "Overdose" as well as a group rendition of INFINITE‘s "Be Mine," Lee became a bonafide star. Unfortunately, he was cut from Produce 101 in the fifth episode of Season 2, but that didn't stop his quest for fame.
After Produce 101, Lee decided to move into acting. He is most known in that respect for starring in the Korean drama Today Was Another Namhyun Day.
Our thoughts are with Lee's family, friends, and fans during this difficult time.
