Korean popstar apologises for causing a 'commotion' after she was found unconscious in a suicide attempt accompanied by a 'goodbye' social media post
- Goo Hara, 28, was found early on Sunday unconscious at her apartment in Seoul
- She wrote, 'Goodbye,' on Instagram before police found her in the Gangnam flat
- Hara apologised on Tuesday 'for causing concerns and a commotion'
- She is the latest to feel the pressure in the controversial Korean pop industry
A South Korean pop star has apologised to fans for causing 'commotion' after she was discovered unconscious following a suicide attempt in Seoul.
Goo Hara, 28, formerly of girl band Kara, sparked a frenzy amongst her fans when she wrote, 'Goodbye,' on her since deleted Instagram.
She was found unresponsive by the police at her apartment in the exclusive Gangnam area of Seoul just after midnight on Sunday and was sped to hospital.
'I am sorry for causing concerns and a commotion,' Hara told Sankei Sports on Tuesday, 'In terms of health, I am recovering ... I had been in agony over a number of overlapping issues.'
Goo Hara was found by police unconscious at her apartment in the exclusive Gangnam district of Seoul early on Sunday morning after posting a 'Goodbye' Instagram message (pictured on the red carpet in Seoul in 2015)
She added: 'But from now on, I will steel my heart and try to show up healthy.'
Since last September the singer and actress has hit headlines in a public row with her ex-boyfriend Choi Jong-Bum, who she accused of blackmailing her with sex tapes the pair had made.
She has also been questioned by police after she allegedly assaulted Choi.
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Choi denies Hara's claims - she was due in court to give evidence at his trial later this week.
Hara is the latest K-Pop megastar to feel the intense pressures of the limelight in the controversial industry.
In December 2017, Kim Jong-Hyun, of boy band Shinee, killed himself after suffering from depression.
Hara attends the 'Mackage' 2017 FW Collection photocall in Seoul in 2017 (left) and at the 3rd Edaily Culture Awards at Haeorum theatre in the South Korean capital in 2017 (right)
In a final heartbreaking message the 27-year-old wrote: 'I'm broken from the inside ... The depression that has slowly eaten away at me has finally consumed me, and I couldn't beat it.'
His death caused grief to millions of fans around the world and focused scrutiny on the Korean pop music industry.
Many K-pop stars face tremendous pressure to look and behave perfectly in an industry powered by so-called 'fandoms' - groups of well-organised admirers who spend enormous amounts of time and money to help their favoured stars climb up the charts and attack their perceived rivals.
In return, the stars are expected to tread carefully in an industry where today's most-fervent fans can be tomorrow's most vicious critics if their idols fail to meet their expectations - or 'betray' them.
A portrait of Kim Jong-Hyun is seen on a mourning altar at the hospital in December 2017 after he committed suicide
A group of young girls are seen breaking down in tears at one of the many gatherings of fans paying their respects to Jong-Hyun in 2017
Drug use or drunken driving are seen as career-breakers, while behaviour that causes a 'stir' - anything from a social media gaffe to a failure to smile ceaselessly at public appearances - could be criticised for years.
Many are constantly chased by paparazzi and camera-touting fans who share or sell every single detail and images of the stars' daily lives online for public scrutiny.
'These 'idols' virtually live in a fishbowl and are pressed to put on a smiley, happy face while behaving nicely 24/7,' said cultural commentator Kim Seong-Soo, adding the strain could 'cripple them emotionally'.
Such challenges are common among celebrities around the world, he told AFP, but are amplified in the hyper-wired South, which has some of the world's fastest internet speeds and highest smartphone usage, and a society where pressure to conform is high.
Hara at a fashion event three years ago (left) and at the SBS 'Shaolin Clenched Fists' press conference at CGV in Seoul in 2015 (right)
Taboos about mental illness dissuade many from seeking medical help, including public figures, he added.
The Korean public have been largely sympathetic towards Hara, CNN reported, and her tumultuous break-up with Choi garnered support from the #MeToo sexual equality movement in Korea.
Choi's trial for illegal filming, coercion and assault was due to open on Thursday but will likely be delayed.
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