K-pop star Yohan has died at the age of 28

Yohan, whose real name was Kim Jeong-hwan, was a member of boyband TST

Yohan, who was a member of K-pop band TST, has died at the age of 28. Instagram / Yohan

Yohan, a member of K-pop group TST, has died at the age of 28.

The star died on Tuesday, June 16, the band’s agency KJ Entertainment confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.

The cause of his death has not been revealed at the request of his family, the statement said.

“The bereaved family is in great sadness,” it read. “We sincerely ask the media to refrain from spreading rumours and speculation on Yohan’s cause of death.”

Yohan, whose real name was Kim Jeong-hwan, started his music career in 2013, joining band Nom (No Other Man). He later went on to join TST (also known as Top Secret) in 2017. The six-piece band have enjoyed a string of hits including Paradise, Wake Up and Mind Control. Their latest single, Countdown, was released in January.

Fans have been leaving tributes on Yohan’s social media accounts, sharing their sadness at the news.

“May you Rest In Peace. Sending my dear condolences to his family, his fans and loved ones,” one user wrote.

“I send the deepest condolences to the family, friends and his fans, all the people who love him, and treasure him, to all the people whom he cherished,” said another.

The sad news follows the death of fellow K-pop singer Goo Hara, who was found dead in her Seoul home in November 2019 at the age of 28. A month earlier, singer and actress Sulli was found dead in her Seongnam home at 25.

The deaths sparked legislators in South Korea to begin to pushing a new bill which, if passed, would see children taught about the effects of cyberbullying in school.

Industry experts have long warned about the dark side of the highly-competitive K-pop industry, which sees aspiring artists train for years starting in their teens. Dozens of new bands debut every year, but only a handful ever become commercially successful.

The industry is known to have strict rules for its stars – including dating bans, spartan training and diets, and sometimes highly-restrictive contracts.