(CNN) Fans of K-pop superstar Kim Jong-hyun are expressing their grief at the loss of the 27-year-old singer who died Monday after committing suicide at a studio apartment in the Gangnam district of Seoul. 
 
 Better known as Jonghyun, Kim's death was confirmed by his management company, SM Entertainment, which said: "We are sorry to share such heartbreaking and tragic news... SHINee's Jonghyun left us suddenly." 
 
 Gangnam police said his death wasn't being investigated as suspicious and Jonghyun's family had not requested an autopsy. 
 
 Police said Jonghyun's sister called them to the apartment about 6 p.m. Monday, reportedly after receiving troubling text messages from him. 
 
 "Please let me go. Tell me I did well," and, "Final farewell," the star said in the messages, according to South Korean media. 
 
 A portrait of Kim Jong-Hyun on a mourning altar at a hospital in Seoul on December 19, 2017. 
 
 Jonghyun was rushed to a nearby university hospital but was declared dead later that evening, SM Entertainment said in the statement. 
 
 The singer had a huge fan base as the lead singer of K-pop band SHINee. The group, formed by SM Entertainment, shot to fame after the release of their debut EP, Replay, in 2008. 
 
 Jonghyun was one of the most talented and well-rounded artists in K-pop, said Paul Han, co-founder of allkpop, a site for K-pop gossip and news, which has 10 million monthly readers worldwide. 
 
 "He had a wonderful voice and was so versatile and composed beautiful music. He was an even better person and he will be forever missed. The world of K-pop has lost one of its brightest stars," he said. 
 
 Earlier this year, the group went on a world tour that took in the US and released their fifth album, titled Five. Jonghyun had performed as a solo artist as recently as this month. 
 
 Photos: Photos: SHINee performed at the Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie in Dallas on March 24. Hide Caption 1 of 22 Photos: Fans at the SHINee concert in Dallas Hide Caption 2 of 22 Photos: SHINee concert in Dallas Hide Caption 3 of 22 Photos: SHINee concert at the Verizon Theatre Hide Caption 4 of 22 Photos: SHINee concert in Dallas on March 24 Hide Caption 5 of 22 Photos: Kim Ki Bum, known as "Key," sings in the front of the rest of the SHINee band in Dallas. Hide Caption 6 of 22 Photos: Fans at the SHINee concert at the Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie Hide Caption 7 of 22 Photos: From the fan's seat in Dallas Hide Caption 8 of 22 Photos: K-pop band SHINee in Dallas Hide Caption 9 of 22 Photos: Fans at SHINee's Dallas show Hide Caption 10 of 22 Photos: Dallas show with SHINee fans Hide Caption 11 of 22 Photos: Fans outside SHINee's Dallas show Hide Caption 12 of 22 Photos: Inside the Dallas concert Hide Caption 13 of 22 Photos: Fans at the SHINee concert at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 26 Hide Caption 14 of 22 Photos: Outside SHINee's Los Angeles show Hide Caption 15 of 22 Photos: Shinee fans Ashley and Anna Matsumoto at the Los Angeles show Hide Caption 16 of 22 Photos: SHINee concert at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 26 Hide Caption 17 of 22 Photos: SHINee concert in Los Angeles Hide Caption 18 of 22 Photos: SHINee concert at the Shrine Auditorium Hide Caption 19 of 22 Photos: Los Angeles 'Shrine Auditorium during the SHINee concert Hide Caption 20 of 22 Photos: K-pop group SHINee in Los Angeles Hide Caption 21 of 22 Photos: SHINee show on March 26 Hide Caption 22 of 22 
 
 "We've come to the US for fan meets before, but concerts make me a bit more nervous and excited. I hope our fans will be able to make great memories with us through the music and performances we show on stage," Jonghyun told CNN in May after performing in Dallas, Los Angeles and Canada. 
 
 Fans in the US also paid tribute to the star as news of his death spread Tuesday. 
 
 "He deserves to be remembered for what a great person he was, and what an inspiration he was to so many people," said US fan Kylie Grant, 20, who traveled to Dallas to watch SHINee in March. 
 
 "To Jonghyun I'd like to say, thank you for all the happiness you have given me and so many others. You worked hard, and you'll be remembered forever." 
 
 Tearful fans gather at a mourning altar for Jonghyun at a hospital in Seoul on December 19, 2017. 
 
 In Seoul, fans paid their respects at Asan Hospital Tuesday, ahead of a funeral which the family has requested to be held "as quietly as possible," according to SM Entertainment. 
 
 "He was full of emotions and a sensitive person. He must have had lots of hardships but hid them and didn't show them to others, that must have been the toughest part for him," said Jung Min-kyung, who joined grieving fans in Seoul. 
 
 Two weeks before his death, Jonghyun sent a 47-line text to his friend, Jang Hee-yeon, a fellow musician from the band Dear Cloud, who goes by the name Nine9, with the request to post it to social media "if he disappears from the world." 
 
 The message said: "I'm broken from inside. The blues that slowly ate at me has finally swallowed me whole. I couldn't overcome." 
 
 "I hated myself. Holding on to disappearing memories and screaming at it to wake up. There was no answer. If I can't breathe, it's better to stop." 
 
 Nine9's manager confirmed to CNN she'd received the text and had permission from his family to release it. 
 
 A post on SM Entertainment's social media page reads: "Jonghyun is the best artist who loved music more than anyone else, enjoyed the stage, and loved to communicate with fans through his music. We will always remember you." 
 
 K-pop machine 
 
 Korean pop music -- or K-pop -- is one of the most notable exports to come out of South Korea in the past decade. 
 
 Many of its stars -- known as idols -- train for years, honing their singing, dancing and acting skills, while also learning other Asian languages, before they are even allowed to debut their first song. 
 
 Mike Suh, head of strategy and global business at entertainment conglomerate CJ E&M, says idols go through a long training period "so that they immediately attract fans when they first appear." 
 
 In this Oct. 4, 2016, file photo, Kim Jong-hyun, a member of South Korean K-pop group SHINee, poses for the media. 
 
 K-pop emerged in South Korea in the early 1990s, and labels such as JYP, DSP and YG built the nation's pop industry from the ground up, creating a training scheme that churned out stars for music, soap operas and movies. 
 
 K-pop's success has also been dependent on a highly-polished image. Stars typically can't be seen dating, getting plastic surgery, or become embroiled in any kind of scandal, Tamar Herman, who covers K-pop for Billboard.com, told CNN earlier in 2017. ||||| SHINee lead singer, who died in hospital on Monday, said he felt ‘broken from inside’ in note made public day after his death 
 
 A harrowing note left by the K-pop singer Kim Jong-hyun, who has died in a suspected suicide, has highlighted the pressures facing young people in South Korea’s intensely competitive entertainment industry. 
 
 Kim, the lead singer of the boy band SHINee, died in hospital in Seoul on Monday after he was found unconscious in his apartment. 
 
 Better known as Jonghyun, he had attracted a huge following in his native country and across Asia both as a band member and solo artist, and was among the most marketable figures in K-pop, South Korea’s most successful cultural export. 
 
 Over the past decade, SHINee, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation and other bands have been the driving force behind the Hallyu Wave that has helped South Korean films, music and TV dramas establish loyal followings in Asia and Europe. 
 
 Kim Jong-hyun: Shinee star dies amid an unforgiving K-pop industry Read more 
 
 However, in a note made public a day after his death, the 27-year-old had said he felt “broken from inside”. 
 
 “The depression that gnawed on me slowly has finally engulfed me entirely,” Kim wrote, adding that he “couldn’t defeat it any more”. 
 
 His friend the singer Nine9 released the note on her Instagram account, saying he had asked her to make it public in the event of his death. 
 
 “I was so alone,” Kim continued. “The act of ending is difficult. I’ve lived until now because of that difficulty. Please tell me I did a good job.” He ended the message: “You’ve worked hard. You’ve really gone through a lot. Goodbye.” 
 
 
 
 K-pop stars are subjected to severe competition and years of training, with every aspect of their lives – from their musical style and fashion to diet and even mobile phone use – dictated by powerful management agencies. 
 
 This video has been removed. This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Jonghyun, lead singer of K-pop band SHINee, dies at 27 – video obituary 
 
 Like their Japanese counterparts, many are forced to forgo romantic relationships to maintain the wholesome image crafted by their industry handlers. 
 
 In Kim, many fans saw a supremely talented singer and dancer who had managed to avoid the hazards, such as alcohol and drugs, that had destroyed the careers of some of his peers. 
 
 The shock felt among his fans worldwide was compounded by the fact that he appeared happy and at ease with himself during public appearances only days before his death. 
 
 But in echoes of his longer note, he had sought what appeared to be assurances about his achievements from his sister in text messages he sent on Monday. “This is my last farewell,” he told her. “Please let me go and say I did a good job.” 
 
 The relentless pressure to achieve can be found in every sector of South Korean society, from its highly competitive education system to a corporate culture that has little tolerance for failure – factors that experts say contribute to the highest suicide rate in the industrialised world. 
 
 Several high-profile figures, including the country’s former president Roh Moo-hyun, as well as business executives, have killed themselves in recent years. 
 
 Ask a North Korean: do you love K-pop too? Read more 
 
 In 2009, the actor Park Jin-hee wrote a master’s degree paper in which she said 40% of South Korea’s actors had considered suicide at least once due to a lack of privacy, online bullying, unstable incomes and the fear that their talents were not appreciated by the industry or the public. 
 
 
 
 Some of the hundreds of fans paying their respects on Tuesday at the hospital where Kim died spoke of the intolerable pressures that can accompany stardom in South Korea. 
 
 “I came here to say my last farewell … since we fans apparently couldn’t be there for him when he needed help most,” 19-year-old Jung Min-kyung told AFP. 
 
 “I think our country has very high expectations of celebrities.” 
 
 ||||| FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2016, file photo, Kim Jong-hyun, a member of South Korean K-pop group SHINee, poses for the media before a showcase for the group's album "1 of 1" in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Jong-hyun,... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2016, file photo, Kim Jong-hyun, a member of South Korean K-pop group SHINee, poses for the media before a showcase for the group's album "1 of 1" in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Jong-hyun, better known by the stage name Jonghyun, was found unconscious at a residence hotel in Seoul... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2016, file photo, Kim Jong-hyun, a member of South Korean K-pop group SHINee, poses for the media before a showcase for the group's album "1 of 1" in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Jong-hyun, better known by the stage name Jonghyun, was found unconscious at a residence hotel in Seoul... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2016, file photo, Kim Jong-hyun, a member of South Korean K-pop group SHINee, poses for the media before a showcase for the group's album "1 of 1" in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Jong-hyun,... (Associated Press) 
 
 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The lead singer of popular South Korean boy band SHINee died on Monday, police said, in a possible suicide. 
 
 Kim Jong-hyun, better known by the stage name Jonghyun, was found unconscious at a residence hotel in Seoul and was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, Seoul police said. 
 
 Police said Kim's sister told them that the singer sent her text messages such as "Final farewell" and "I've had difficulties" before his death. 
 
 Police said they have not yet determined whether he killed himself. 
 
 Yonhap news agency said authorities found burned coal briquettes, which produce carbon monoxide, in a frying pan in Kim's hotel room. 
 
 Kim debuted in 2008 as the main singer of SHINee, and cultivated a career as both a group member and a solo singer-song writer. His last public appearance was at a solo concert titled "Inspired" on Dec. 9-10 in Seoul, and he was scheduled to hold concerts with SHINee members in Tokyo and Osaka in February, Yonhap said. 
 
 South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates among developed countries. A string of high-profile figures, including a former president and business executives, have killed themselves in recent years. ||||| Charcoal-burning suicide is suicide by burning charcoal in a closed room or area. Death occurs by carbon monoxide poisoning. 
 
 Mechanism of action [ edit ] 
 
 As the charcoal burns, the concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) gradually increases. Because of its toxicity (and not the exhaustion of oxygen as sometimes thought) CO concentrations of as little as one part per thousand can be fatal if inhaled over a period of two hours.[1] The incomplete combustion of carbon produces carbon monoxide, which binds strongly to hemoglobin, rapidly decreasing the ability of blood to deliver oxygen to the body. This results in death due to hypoxia brought about by carbon monoxide poisoning. 
 
 The method is described as "easy and painless" compared to other suicide methods.[2] Many who attempt suicide by charcoal burning use alcohol or hypnotic drugs during the attempt, and survivors report that they felt no discomfort.[2] 
 
 Dominic Lee, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Chinese University of Hong Kong has challenged the description of the method as painless.[3] Typical symptoms of acute carbon monoxide poisoning include headache and nausea, and tachycardia and convulsions are possible additional symptoms.[4] A survivor of this method usually needs intensive care to manage the temporarily impaired oxygen capacity of the blood, and may have permanent brain damage caused by cerebral hypoxia.[citation needed] 
 
 History [ edit ] 
 
 As a method of suicide it is mentioned by Eugène Sue in The Wandering Jew (1844).[5] 
 
 In July 1994, two students of Taipei First Girls' High School committed suicide by charcoal-burning in a hotel in Su'ao, Yilan with a note that didn't state the reason clearly, even though that it was suspected in some mass media that they were a lesbian couple.[6] In November 1998, a middle-aged woman in Hong Kong committed suicide using this method inside her small, sealed bedroom. She had a chemical engineering background.[7] Hong Kong was suffering from an economic depression at the time, and suicide in general was increasing. After the details of this suicide were highly publicised by local mass media, many others killed themselves in this way (an example of the Werther effect). Within two months, charcoal-burning had become the third major suicide killer in Hong Kong.[8] Charcoal-burning suicide accounted for 1.7% of Hong Kong suicides in 1998 and 10.1% in 1999.[9] By 2001, it had surpassed hanging as the second most-common method of suicide in Hong Kong (second only to jumping), accounting for about 25% of all suicide deaths.[8] The method has since spread to mainland China, Taiwan and Japan.[10] 
 
 In March 2003, three Israeli residents of Kafr Qassem, a mother and her two sons, died in their sleep after sealing the room in which they were sleeping, as per Shelter in place guidelines, against potential chemical or biological attack. They had lit a charcoal fire to keep warm, unwittingly following the same preparations in charcoal-burning suicide and diverging from shelter in place guidelines. The father and another child survived.[11] 
 
 Beginning in 2003, authorities in Japan have seen a series of group suicides, committed by strangers who met in suicide chat rooms online. Such a group will typically use sleeping pills and charcoal stoves in a van parked in a remote area.[12] 
 
 On 9 March 2007, Brad Delp, the lead singer of the American rock band Boston, killed himself using this method.[13] 
 
 On 18 December 2017, Kim Jong-hyun, a member of the South Korean idol group SHINee, was found unconscious in a Gangnam residential hotel. He was later pronounced dead in the ICU. The police ultimately ruled his death a suicide through the earlier text messages sent to his sister, after the discovery of charcoal briquette remnants in a frying pan at the scene.[14][15] 
 
 See also [ edit ] ||||| (ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES with more details throughout) 
 
 SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- Kim Jong-hyun, singer of popular K-pop group SHINee, died Monday in an apparent suicide, police said. He was 28. 
 
 Kim, better known by his stage name Jonghyun, was found unconscious at a rented apartment studio in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, around 6:10 p.m., according to police. Kim's sister made the initial call to 119 responders at 4:42 p.m. reporting that she believed her brother was committing suicide. 
 
 The singer was moved to a nearby hospital but was later pronounced dead, police said. Kim arrived at the hospital under cardiac arrest and received emergency CPR treatment but failed to regain consciousness. 
 
 Investigators believe he died from inhaling toxic fumes, as they discovered coal briquettes burnt on a frying pan upon arriving at the apartment. 
 
 The sister who made the initial report received a text message from the singer saying, "Please let me go. Tell me I did well," "Final farewell," suggesting that he was about to take his own life. 
 
 Kim debuted in May 2008 as the main singer of SHINee under S.M. Entertainment, South Korea's biggest music label and entertainment agency, and has boasted a nearly decade-long prolific career not just in group activities but as a solo singer-songwriter. Kim's last public appearance was at his solo concert, titled "Inspired," from Dec. 9-10 in Seoul. 
 
 A file photo of Jonghyun, member of K-pop group SHINee, who has died on Dec. 18, 2017. (Yonhap) 
 
 odissy@yna.co.kr 
 
 (END) ||||| Image copyright EPA Image caption "The life of fame was never meant for me," the note said 
 
 A note said to have been written by K-pop superstar Jonghyun has been posted on social media by his close friend, revealing a struggle with depression. 
 
 "The depression that was slowly devouring me at last consumed me," said the note, posted by fellow singer Nine. 
 
 Jonghyun, 27, was found dead on Monday in a suspected suicide. 
 
 He was the lead singer of one of South Korea's biggest pop groups SHINee. His death has triggered an outpouring of grief from fans around the world. 
 
 Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Groups of distraught and tearful fans gathered at the Seoul hospital 
 
 On Tuesday, Nine, a member of another pop group Dear Cloud, shared on Instagram the note she said Jonghyun had sent to her, with instructions to make it public if he "disappeared from the world". 
 
 Dear Cloud's management Mymusic Entertainment confirmed to news agency Yonhap the note was posted after consultation with Jonghyun's family. 
 
 It spoke about his struggle with living in the public eye, saying "I was broken from the inside" and "the life of fame was never meant for me". 
 
 "What else can I say more. Just tell me I've done well. That this is enough. That I've worked hard. Even if you can't smile don't fault me on my way." 
 
 The dark side of Asia’s pop music industry 
 
 Depression at work: 'At my desk in tears' 
 
 However, no details were given as to when the note was written or sent to Nine. 
 
 On Twitter, his fans have interpreted the message as the singer's last request to them. 
 
 Jonghyun, whose full name was Kim Jong-hyun, was found unconscious in a Seoul apartment. He was taken to hospital where he was declared dead. 
 
 According to news agency AFP, he had sent several text messages to his sister, including one saying "this is my last farewell". 
 
 Police said they would not be conducting a post-mortem examination, following a request from Jonghyun's family. 
 
 Officers said it "looks certain" that he had killed himself, but did not officially confirm his cause of death as they were still conducting investigations. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images 
 
 The singer was considered by many of his fans to be a very sensitive young man who did not embrace the hedonism that often comes with stardom. 
 
 As well as being a singer and dancer, he played a large part in songwriting and production for SHINee. He also launched a parallel successful solo career in 2015. 
 
 'Grounded person' 
 
 Fan Wang, a BBC Chinese journalist who worked as an interpreter for Jonghyun during a fan meeting in 2014, recalled that: "Apart from the time he performed, he didn't talk much most of the time... the thing he cared the most about was his singing and performance." 
 
 Another interpreter who worked with the band told the BBC that Jonghyun "didn't attract as much attention as other band members when he was offstage. Quiet and reticent, he was always walking behind the others. 
 
 "Yet during rehearsals, he came across as a lead singer. He took his singing and dancing rehearsals really seriously - you could tell he was a serious, grounded person." 
 
 "He was also very polite. Once, he'd just finished brushing his teeth when he saw me standing by the door - he hadn't even dried his mouth yet, but hurried to bow and greet me right away," the interpreter, who wanted to be identified only as Ms Shu, added. 
 
 The management of SHINee, SM Entertainment, released a statement saying he was "the best artist" and that they were "heartbroken" about his death. 
 
 The band also posted an emotional tribute to the pop idol on its official Twitter account, saying in Korean: "Jonghyun, who loved music more than anyone.... Forever, he will be remembered." 
 
 Fans were paying their respects at a funeral hall at the hospital in Seoul throughout Tuesday. 
 
 SHINee's other members were there to receive mourners, who included K-pop stars such as singer BoA and members of girl group Girls Generation, reported newspaper The Korea Herald. 
 
 A private funeral will be held on Thursday. 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption An altar with Jonghyun's portrait was set up at the hospital 
 
 SHINee were founded in 2008 as a five member group under SM Entertainment, and quickly rose to become of the biggest K-pop boy groups. 
 
 Conceived in South Korea in the 1990s as a Western-Asian hybrid, K-pop is now a multi-million dollar industry. 
 
 K-Pop steps up to win fans Down Under 
 
 It is at the forefront of the so-called Korean Wave - the spread of Korean music, drama and film across Asia and worldwide. 
 
 Over the past years, SHINee recorded several albums in Japanese and in 2017 sold out the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome and part of their Japan tour. Earlier this year, they also played their first North American tour. 
 
 If you are feeling emotionally distressed, here are details of organisations in the UK which offer advice and support. 
 
 What is depression? 
 
 Depression is more than just feeling a bit down for a few days. It is an illness which, at its most severe, can leave people feeling that life is no longer worth living. It can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, sleeplessness and constant tiredness which may last for months and months. 
 
 People with depression can also feel anxious, irritable and agitated on a daily basis, but it affects everyone differently. 
 
 If people admit their symptoms and talk to someone about their feelings, depression can usually be treated but the biggest barrier to getting help is often stigma and the fear of disclosing mental health problems.
– A K-pop superstar in South Korea whose bandmates said "loved music more than anyone" died Monday in what appears to be a suicide, the BBC reports. Police say Jonghyun (full name Kim Jong-hyun), said to be in his late 20s, was found unconscious in a Seoul residence hotel and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, per the AP. While police haven't confirmed the death of the lead singer of SHINee was a suicide, Yonhap reports that investigators discovered incinerated coal briquettes in a frying pan in Kim's room, suggesting he died from inhaling the carbon monoxide that's emitted when coal is burned. Police ended up there after his sister called 911, worried Kim might be killing himself based on texts he'd sent her, per AFP. "This is my last farewell," one of the texts reportedly said. Another: "Please let me go. Tell me I did well." Per a separate Yonhap report, a close friend of Kim's posted on Instagram what she says was his suicide note; she says Kim's family was OK with her doing so. "I'm broken from the inside," Kim wrote. "The depression that has slowly nibbled me away has now devoured me, and I couldn't overcome it. … No one alive is more tormented nor weaker than myself." He also noted being famous likely wasn't for him, asking himself: "Why did I choose that?" The AP reports South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. The Guardian adds his note underscores the pressures of being a young entertainer in South Korea. Police say Kim's family doesn't want an autopsy, and his management company notes the family wants his funeral to be held "as quietly as possible," per CNN.