Lee Jihan, singer and actor of K-Pop, died in the crush of the mob in South Korea – National | Globalnews.ca

A South Korean singer and actor is among more than 150 people who died after a wave of crowds during Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korea.

Lee Jihan was celebrating Halloween in the Itaewon district on Saturday when chaos ensued in the intensely crowded streets, causing crowds to crush. He was 24 years old.

The influx of crowds — which killed more than 153 people, including 26 foreigners as of Monday morning — is the worst disaster in South Korea’s recent history.

Lee’s agencies 935 Entertainment and 9Ato Entertainment both confirmed the star’s death in public statement. With clear text on a black background, the statement, which is in Korean, reads: “We are saddened to announce such news today, but Lee Jihan 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 and tragic news, and to all those who loved him,” the statement continued.

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Lee’s agency also said he was a “sweet and warm friend to all” who had a “bright smile” and “a passion for the game.”

Lee rose to popularity after appearing as a contestant on the Korean TV show Produce 101, a singing contest where hopefuls competed for one of 11 spots in a new Korean boy band. He auditioned with an EXO cover Overdose.

He also performed INFINITE Be mine alongside several other competitors on Produce 101.

Although Lee did not win the contest, he garnered a sizable fan base after the show.

Lee then used his newfound popularity to earn an acting role in the K-Drama. Today was another Namhyun day.

Saturday’s disaster was concentrated in a steep, narrow alley, with witnesses and survivors recalling “hellish” chaos with people falling on top of each other like dominoes. They said the entire Itaewon area was congested with slow-moving vehicles and revelers dressed in Halloween costumes, preventing rescuers and ambulances from reaching the crowded alleys in time.

The Halloween festivities in Itaewon have no official organizers. South Korean police said Monday they have no specific procedures for handling incidents such as crowds at an event that has no organizers.

More than 80% of the dead were in their 20s or 30s and 11 were teenagers, South Korea’s interior ministry said.

The influx of crowds was South Korea’s deadliest disaster since 2014, when 304 people, mostly high school students, died in the sinking of a ferry.

According to the AllKPop website, Lee’s funeral will be on Tuesday.

— With files from the Associated Press

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