TikTok Star Mina Chan Dies During Livestream, Online Harassment Under Scrutiny

A Japanese social media influencer and fan of popular K-pop group committed suicide during a livestream after being harassed online.

The influencer Mina Chan’s death creates so much chaos about K-pop fan culture and online harassment. South Korea-based TikTok star Mina Chan, who was based in South Korea and had more than 80,000 followers on TikTok, allegedly took her own life during a livestream.

As per Korea Herald, the incident apparently happened for the duration of a morning TikTok livestream that Mina Chan was presenting from her home. After being notified by an associate, Yangsan police reached at the scene and found her dead at around 5:33 a.m. whereas the livestream was ongoing, social media users insisted authorities to interfere and offer instant help.

Mina Chan’s death was set by her younger sister on her Instagram story the next day. In an emotional message, she remembered her sister, saying that her beloved older sister, who was always kind and loving to everyone she met, was no longer in the world. She also asked fans to remember her sister in their prayers.

She was said to be a dedicated ENHYPEN fan and regularly attended their fan meetings and performances. She had gained a large following due to her activities on social media, but before her death, she was facing severe criticism and alleged online harassment from ENHYPEN fans.

The criticism began with an incident that occurred during an ENHYPEN show in the United States last month. Mina Chan tried to deliver flowers to Japanese singer Ni Ki through the group’s member Suno. Some fans called her action a violation of the artists’ personal boundaries and criticized her heavily on social media.

Following the incident, Mina Chan issued a detailed explanation and apology to X on July 31. She admitted that her behavior may have taken advantage of Suno’s kindness, and apologized to Suno and her fans. Mina Chan also wrote that attending several ENHYPEN fan signing events had made her feel closer to the group members than she actually was.

In her explanation, she expressed regret over the incident in the US, saying that she had prioritized her own desires and affected the precious time available to Nicki and the atmosphere of the event. She also apologized for her behavior, calling it “rude.”

However, despite the apology, Mina Chan continued to face alleged hate messages and criticism on social media. Some fans also shared condolence messages on her final Instagram posts after her death, while some users expressed serious concerns about the trend of online harassment in the fan community.

One user commented on Mina Chan’s post, writing that the level of hatred, harassment, and accusations in the fan community is extremely sad. The user described Mina as a “soft-hearted and kind girl” and said that it is not right to call people who harm someone a true fan, because even artists themselves do not support such behavior.

Although online harassment is being discussed as a major aspect of the incident after Mina Chan’s death, South Korean police have yet to release an official statement regarding the final cause of her death.