Police are investigating the death of the singer for the boy band Astro, but have so far found no signs of foul play, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
The chief producer behind BTS says K-pop is in crisis as global sales slow or decline — and BTS' taking a break is a big factor. But the industry is trying to pick itself back up.
With nearly 9 billion streams, the popular K-pop girl group beat the previous titleholders, Little Mix, on Wednesday, according to Guinness World Records.
The deaths of singers Sulli and Goo Hara within weeks of each other are putting a spotlight on mental health, cyberbullying and social issues in South Korea.
Goo Hara, a former member of the K-pop group Kara, was found dead in Seoul on Sunday, the second K-pop celebrity death in less than two months. The 28-year-old star had been a target of cyberbullying.
A summit between South and North Korea this Friday prompted the South to stop broadcasting its massively popular pop music toward its northern neighbors.