Singer-actor Lee Jihan was among those who died in the Itaewon crowd crush tragedy in Seoul, South Korea. Two agencies representing the star, 935 Entertainment and 9Ato Entertainment, confirmed the news on Sunday Oct. 30.
The 24-year-old was among the more than 150 victims of the tragedy, which happened as the crowd surged into the narrow alleyways of the famous nightlife district.
Born on Aug. 3, 1998, Lee Jihan had made his first big move in the Korean entertainment industry by competing in the second season of the Korean singing competition Produce 101, where 101 K-pop hopefuls looked to land a spot in an 11-member boy band.
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Lee initially auditioned for the program with a rendition of EXO’s “Overdose,” gave a positive castmate performance of INFINITE’s “Be Mine,” and was finally eliminated in the fifth episode. At the time, Lee was a K-pop trainee with Pan Entertainment. The program produced Wanna One (who had five appearances on the World Albums chart in the course of their one-year relationship) and other rising artists.
Through Instagram Stories, former Produce 101 competitors Park Heeseok and Kim Dohyun shared funeral details and sent their condolences to their former castmate.
After production, Lee started acting. He appeared in the 2019 Korean drama Today Was Another Namhyun Day as the lead. In South Korea, a few different actors are both represented by the 935 Entertainment and 9Ato Entertainment agencies.
Lee Jihan is one of at least 153 dead in Seoul’s crowd crush incident over the weekend. The Korean government has announced a period of national mourning that will last until Nov. 5. Several K-pop music releases and events have been canceled or postponed in light of the tragedy. Artists like PSY, ENHYPEN and more have expressed condolences.
