Throwback tragedy: Meet Kim Hyung Eun, the idol who died due to overwork, unsafe schedules, and company negligence
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After becoming well-known with their first single, "Unmyeong," the comedy skit quickly transformed into a full-fledged idol group.
The group was overbooked with back-to-back events—festivals, brand shows, and school appearances—as their fame grew. But tragedy took place in their rapid rise. Shim Jin Hwa claims that on December 16, 2006, their manager drove at extremely fast speeds—up to 220 km/h—while hurrying from a performance in Gwanghwamun to Youngpyeong, a distance of 185 km.
During a steep downhill bend, the car hit a divider.
After suffering a neck fracture, Kim Hyung Eun fell into a coma. Despite a nine-hour surgery to relocate her vertebrae, complications such as internal bleeding, broken ribs from CPR, and cardiac arrests took place. She unexpectedly passed away on January 10, 2007, at the age of 25. "I want to live," were her last words, spoken just after the accident.
Even more difficult was what came next.
The company said the group wasn't in a hurry and denied any form of misconduct. The allegations were proved false by further inquiries. Even worse, Kim's family later discovered they were hardly entitled to the ₩100 million KRW (~$72,800 USD) that the agency had claimed from her life insurance. Kim's parents only got about $24,000 after shady settlements.
Remarkably, each member of the group reportedly made a total of only $2,000 from all activities, even though they made dozens of appearances.
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Employees were not paid. While the company made money, members lived in poverty. While Shim Jin Hwa fought depression before reviving her comedy career, Jang Kyung Hee was forced to leave the entertainment industry due to the tragedy.
Despite being tragic, Kim Hyung Eun's incident was not unique. Due to unrealistic schedules and agency pressure, several idol groups have experienced similar mishaps in recent years.
Fortunately, all members of the girl group SECRET survived a similar car accident in 2012. Additionally, Super Junior was involved in a fatal crash that seriously injured several members. Two members of Ladies Code, another girl group, EunB and Rise, passed away in a similar accident.
Even though the standards have improved with the globalization of K-Pop, fans must keep in mind that the glamour and glitz of an idol's life are not the whole truth. These incidents serve as a bitter reminder of how little artists' lives are valued by their own agencies.
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