A responded, "I still recommend that you visit a hospital." Friend A recommended treatment, however, Jonghyun shook his head side to side, and said, "I've been receiving treatment but it's not getting better..."
On December 18, SHINee member Jonghyun (27) was found unconscious at a residential hotel in Seoul. He was officially declared dead on the evening of the same day. Police suspect suicide from depression.
'A' is a 5-year friend of Jonghyun who claims he frequently exchanged deep conversations with the idol star about his concerns.
On the evening of December 18, 'A' met with media outlet Dispatch and shared about the last conversation he had with Jonghyun before his death.
'A' stated, "I met him on the 1st (of December). He said he's still having a hard time, but I didn't think it would end like this."
'A' claims the root of Jonghyun's struggle was music. The friend explained, "He said he felt like he wasn't living up to the expectations. He wanted to do better but felt like he was lacking talent. He was struggling, saying that he's getting bumped down as he gets older."
According to 'A', Jonghyun was always deeply worried about his music.
'A' continued to explain, "He didn't have any issues in his personal life. His relationship with his mom and sister were great. All Jonghyun had was music but he blamed himself often, saying he lacks talent."
The friend shared that Jonghyun then started talking about death.
'A' stated, "Even if he has a lot of friends, it's overwhelming to talk about such concerns. He often opened up to me. He talked about death in early December. I believed he'd overcome it." The friend added, "He wasn't able to sleep without sleeping pills. He often drifted to sleep while talking on the phone all night. He was holding on well... I didn't know that would become our last conversation."
'A' lastly said, "It felt like he was just (barely) hanging on day by day. I hoped he would hang on until the end but now I just hope he lets go of all his concerns and rests comfortably."
If you or someone you know is at risk of self-harm or suicide, seek help as soon as possible by contacting agencies specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention in the United States and abroad.
