The death of K-pop influencer Mina Chan has sparked a painful conversation about online harassment and the darker side of fandom culture.
Chan, 26, was a prominent ENHYPENfan with more than 80,000 TikTok followers.
According to the Korea Herald, police in Seoul found her dead at her residence on August 5 after an acquaintance raised the alarm. Her younger sister later confirmed her death in an Instagram Story, as per the Daily Mail.
“My beloved older sister, who was always kind and warm to everyone she met, has passed away,” the message read. “I kindly ask that you keep my sister in your thoughts and prayers.”
In the weeks before her death, Chan had faced intense criticism from some ENHYPENfans following an interaction at the group’s U.S. concert.
She later apologised publicly, saying she believed she had crossed a boundary.
“I feel like my actions ended up taking advantage of Sunoo’s kindness,” she wrote on X. “I’m truly sorry. I feel so apologetic toward Sunoo and all the Sunoo fans.”
She continued, “By attending ENHYPEN’s fansigns multiple times, I had deluded myself into thinking I was closer to the members than I actually was.”
Chan also wrote, “I deeply regret the rude behavior I exhibited in America. I ruined the atmosphere of the venue by prioritizing my own desire to meet Ni-ki over the precious time Ni-ki, who loves America so much, deserved. I’m truly sorry.”
After her death, followers condemned the harassment she had received.
“The amount of hate, harassment and blame-shifting in this fandom is genuinely disgusting,” one wrote.
“We lost a sweet, beautiful and kind girl with a big heart … May you rest peacefully, beautiful girl.”
2026-08-11 12:30:00
