Lee Ji Han has died at the age of 24 (Picture: Mnet/Produce 101)
Singer and actor Lee Ji Han is confirmed to have died at the age of 24 in a horrific crush at a Halloween party.
At least 151 people are said to have been killed in the incident on Saturday night as they gathered to celebrate the festivities.
It was rumoured that the crush began when a huge crowd of young people – mostly aged in their teens and 20s – poured into a narrow Seoul street to ‘see a local celebrity’.
Agencies for Ji Han, who was best known as a contestant on Produce 101 Season 2, had got caught up in the stampede and died.
In a statement translated by Soompi, agency 935 Entertainment said: ‘It’s true that Lee Ji Han passed away due to the accident in Itaewon on October 29.
‘We also hoped that it wasn’t true, and we were very shocked to hear the news. The family is suffering immense grief right now, so we are being very cautious. May he rest in peace.’
They later followed up with another statement which said: ‘Please send a warm farewell to [Lee], who left us too soon. We will also remember Lee, who shone beautifully with his passion for acting.’
Ji Han’s other agency 9ato Entertainment also confirmed the news in a social media statement.
They said according to SBS Star: ‘We are sad to deliver such news today, but Lee Jihan has passed away in the crush in Itaewon last night. We would like to express our deepest condolences to his family, who are saddened by the sudden tragic news, also to everyone who loved him.
Ji Han rose to fame starring in Produce 101 in 2017 (Picture: Instagram/Lee Ji Han)
Ji Han has been remembered as a ‘pure and positive’ energy by one of his agencies (Picture: Mnet/Produce 101)
It’s reported that Ji Han’s funeral will take place on November 1 (Picture: Instagram/Lee Ji Han)
‘Lee Ji-han brightly smiled when greeting us all the time. He had pure and positive energy with great passion for acting. It is very hard to believe that we cannot see him anymore. Please send your warm goodbye to Lee Ji-han. He’ll always be remembered.’
Many have paid tribute to Ji Han with several of his castmates on Produce 101 passingon their condolences, including Park Hee Seok, Kim Do Hyun, and Cho Jin Hyung.
They wrote in a joint statement: ‘Ji Han has left this world and gone to a comfortable place. We ask that you say goodbye to him on his final path.’
According to AllKPop, Ji Han’s funeral will be held on November 1.
Emergency services rushed to the scene where at least 151 people died (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Locals have been paying tribute to the scores of people who lost their lives (Picture: Reuters)
Ji Han rose to fame starring in season two of Mnet’s Produce 101, which saw 101 contestants compete for a spot in the line-up of an 11-member K-pop group.
In 2019, the entertainer made his acting debut starring in popular Korean drama series Today Was Another Nam Hyun Day.
According to officials, at least 19 foreigners lost their lives in the stampede.
They said streets were so packed with people and slow-moving vehicles that it was practically impossible for emergency workers and ambulances to reach the alley near Hamilton Hotel.
President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the Ministry of Health and Welfare to deploy disaster medical teams and secure hospital beds for those injured.
An estimated 100,000 people had gathered in Itaewon for the country’s biggest outdoor Halloween festivities since the pandemic began and strict rules on gatherings were enforced.
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Ji Han was best known for starring on Produce 101 Season 2.
