A Japanese woman in her 20s was found dead early Wednesday in an officetel in Seoul’s Yongsan District after an apparent suicide during a TikTok livestream, according to the Seoul Yongsan Police Station. The Korea Herald reported the initial police account on Thursday.
Police said officers responded around 5:33 a.m. on Aug. 5 to a report from an acquaintance who stated that a friend had attempted suicide while broadcasting live. The woman, who maintained approximately 80,000 TikTok followers and resided in Hangangno-dong, was pronounced dead at the scene. Viewers reported that the stream continued in real time until authorities arrived.
The Yongsan Police Station is investigating the circumstances of the death. Initial statements from authorities have indicated no evidence of criminal foul play.
Yonhap News Agency and the JoongAng Ilbo independently confirmed the core facts: a Japanese national in her 20s working as a social media influencer in South Korea died while livestreaming from her residence. Multiple viewers on TikTok and X posted urgent appeals for police intervention as the broadcast unfolded.
Social media users and fan communities have widely identified the woman as Mina Chan, also known as Minachan or Mina, a 26-year-old Japanese national and longtime supporter of the K-pop group ENHYPEN, particularly its Japanese member Ni-ki (Nishimura Riki). According to publicly available posts and fan documentation, she produced ENHYPEN-related content, graduated from Rikkyo University’s history department earlier in 2026, and had previously worked as a hostess in Tokyo’s Roppongi district before relocating to Seoul.
In the days preceding the incident, she faced sustained online criticism from portions of the ENHYPEN fandom. The criticism followed an interaction at a recent U.S. concert stop in which, according to circulating video clips and contemporaneous posts, she asked member Sunoo to pass a bouquet of flowers to Ni-ki. The request was not completed.
On or around July 30–31, Ni-ki addressed concert etiquette during a livestream. According to Mashable’s reporting on the broadcast, he stated that live venues should be places where everyone can be happy and that he found it disappointing when some attendees appeared focused primarily on drawing personal attention rather than sharing the collective experience. He did not name any individual. Many fans nevertheless connected the comments to Mina Chan’s earlier actions, after which she received targeted harassment that included references to her prior work as a hostess.
She subsequently posted a public apology on social media in which she expressed regret for what she described as taking advantage of Sunoo’s kindness and for prioritizing her own desire for interaction with Ni-ki. The criticism continued.
During the final livestream, according to accounts from viewers and circulating recordings, she said:
“I’m not going to live anymore.”
She continued,
“There’s no reason to live. I’m not looking forward to it anymore.”
Later in the stream she added,
“Nice to meet you. I’m scared. I’m scared. I wanted to live a little longer.”
A person described by online accounts as close to the family later shared a message confirming the death and requesting privacy. The Seoul Yongsan Police Station has not publicly released the deceased’s name and continues to examine the precise sequence of events.
The case has prompted discussion among K-pop fans and industry observers about the intensity of online fan culture, the rapid escalation of criticism into sustained harassment, and the pressures experienced by highly visible supporters who invest significant time and resources in attending events and documenting interactions with idols.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or emotional distress, help is available. In South Korea, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare helpline at 109 (available 24 hours) or request a translator for English-language services. LifeLine Korea can be reached at 1588-9191. International resources are listed at befrienders.org.
