K-pop TikTok Influencer Mina Chan Dies During Livestream

Mina Chan, a 25-year-old social media star, has died by suicide at her home in Seoul, South Korea. She was known online for her love of the K-pop boy band Enhypen and had built a large following, with over 300,000 fans on TikTok and 150,000 on Instagram. She died on August 5 while streaming live on social media. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Some viewers who were watching Chan's livestream became worried about her and called local police to ask for help. An acquaintance of Chan also contacted authorities. By the time police arrived at her home in the early morning hours, Chan had already died, according to the Yongsan Police department, which spoke with The Korea Herald. USA TODAY also reached out to TikTok and South Korean authorities for comment.

Chan's sister shared a message on her Instagram story to address her older sister's death. 'My beloved older sister, who was always kind and warm to everyone she met, has passed away,' she wrote. She said she would not discuss what happened further and asked people to keep her sister in their thoughts and prayers. The message has since expired and is no longer visible on Instagram.

Before her death, Chan had been criticized by some fans in the Enhypen fan community. At a concert in July, some fans felt she crossed a line while trying to get a band member's attention so he could pass flowers to her favorite member, Ni-Ki. Ni-Ki later spoke on a Weverse livestream about concert etiquette, saying he felt some fans were more focused on getting the group's attention than on enjoying the show. USA TODAY has reached out to Enhypen's representative for comment.

Chan wrote a public apology on X, though it was later deleted. She said she felt she had taken advantage of a band member's kindness and was truly sorry for her actions. She also admitted that attending many fan events had made her believe she was closer to the members than she really was. 'I deeply regret the rude behavior I exhibited in America,' she wrote.

After Chan's death, edited clips from her livestream were posted on X and had not been removed. Jessica Maddox, a professor who studies internet culture at the University of Georgia, said this kind of harmful content has become easier to find. 'Social media was made for this violence,' Maddox told USA TODAY. She believes that violent content appearing online is not an accident but reflects the values of these platforms.

Chan's death occurred around the same time that celebrity blogger Perez Hilton also alarmed fans during a TikTok livestream, when police were called to his home after reports of self-harm. The stream stayed online for 15 minutes due to a 'moderator error,' and his account was later permanently banned for breaking the platform's community guidelines. His family shared a statement saying he is in serious but stable condition and will need surgery after experiencing serious blood loss.