Content warning: The following text handles topics of depression and suicide.
On October 17th Goo Ha-ra returned to South Korea. The stated reason for her sudden return was to attend the memorial service of Sulli, who died on October 14th. She had been unable to attend the earlier funeral service owing to scheduling conflicts, having only managed to clear her schedule on the morning of October 17th.
Goo Ha-ra was an early responder to Sulli's death. On October 15th she made a post on Instagram. She started by mentioning a desire to talk about Sulli, and continued by discussing how the tears wouldn't stop and she still couldn't believe it. The two of them have taken a large number of pictures together, and they were always so pretty. The post itself contained several such pictures.
In a short live broadcast Goo Ha-ra apologized to Sulli for not being able to go to Korea because she was in Japan. She apologized for only being able to speak like this. Goo Ha-ra expressed hope that Sulli could get along well in that place she wanted to go to. Goo Ha-ra promised to live fully for Sulli's part as well.
Goo Ha-ra had attempted suicide earlier this year - although in that case the attempt was provoked by a court case involving an abusive ex-boyfriend. Sulli was suffering from depression when she took her own life.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, please check this international list of suicide prevention crisis centers for your local branch. If your country is not on the list, please call your local emergency services.
Written by William Schwartz
Staff writer. Has been writing articles for HanCinema since 2012, having lived in South Korea since 2011. Started out in Gyeongju, then to Daegu, then to Ansan, then to Yeongju, then to Seoul, lived on the road for HanCinema's travel diaries series in the summer of 2016, and is currently settled in Anyang. Has good tips for utilizing South Korea's public bus system. William Schwartz can be contacted via william@hancinema.net. He also has a substack at williamschwartz.substack.com where he discusses the South Korean film industry in broader terms and takes suggestions for future movies to review.