Japanese content creator Mina Chan died on Aug. 5 in what appears to have been a suicide broadcast live to her followers, according to a report from South Korean outlet Korean Herald and confirmed by her family in an Instagram post. She was 25.
What Happened
According to the Korean Herald, Seoul's Yongsan Police Station said the woman, identified as a Japanese national in her 20s, died during a livestream from her residence in the Hangangno-dong neighborhood of Yongsan-gu on Aug. 5.Police told the outlet they were called to the scene after an acquaintance filed a report, and officers found her dead at around 5:33 a.m. local time. Investigators said they were still examining the circumstances surrounding her death.
Following the incident, clips from the broadcast depicting her apparent death spread widely across social media platforms.
Chan's sister was the first to publicly acknowledge her death, posting to her own Instagram Stories on Aug. 5, according to screenshots of the post that later circulated on the social platform X. "My beloved older sister, who was always kind and warm to everyone she met, has passed away," the sister wrote. "May she rest in peace."
Six days later, on Aug. 11, Chan's family posted a longer statement to her Instagram Stories, revealing that they had brought her body home on Aug. 9—the date that would have marked her 26th birthday. "We are heartbroken that we could not fulfill our promise to celebrate her birthday together," the family wrote.
In the statement, the family said Chan had been "hurt by critical messages posted on social media" and had been "made to feel that her life had no value" before she died.
"We hope more people will consider how the words, photos, videos, and everything else they post may be received by others," the family added. The post closed with a message attributed to Chan herself: "To my older brothers and sisters in Korea, thank you for loving me, even though it was only for a short time. I had fun, friends! Let's meet again."
Her Online Following
Chan had built an audience of more than 300,000 followers on TikTok, an account that has since been deleted, along with roughly 150,000 followers on Instagram. Her Instagram presence featured lifestyle, fashion, and cosmetics content, and her account indicated she was based in South Korea. She was also known within fan communities as a devoted supporter of the K-pop group ENHYPEN.If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org to talk with a trained crisis counselor.