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It has been six years since SHINee member Jonghyun left the world, his members, family, and beloved fans. On December 18, 2023, his band member Minho paid him homage, as the day marks his sixth death anniversary. On this day in 2017, at the age of 27, Jonghyun took his own life, leaving behind a suicide note and millions of broken hearts.
His bandmate Minho honored the singer by sharing an old photo of him on Instagram with a brief but meaningful statement. Minho went to see Jonghyun's mother and wrote that he misses him every day. He went on to say that a great number of people are missing him and urged Jonghyun to keep him in mind as well. With the prospect of seeing his brother soon, Minho closed his letter.
"It’s a warm winter again today thanks to you. I miss you even more this year, hyung. Always missing you a lot, remembering a lot, and talking a lot about you! I just visited hyung and met your mother on the way back. Don't worry, I comforted her well. Many people miss you a lot. Just saying. Hyung, think of me sometimes too. See you again.”
To mark the sixth anniversary of Jonghyun's death, SHINee and their worldwide fan base gathered in a heartbreaking moment of contemplation. Along with his musical achievements, the late artist—a beloved member of the legendary K-pop group SHINee—will always be remembered for the lasting impression he had on Shawols all over the world.
Fans left thousands of emotional tweets on Twitter and other social media platforms, in remembrance of the late star whose music continues to soothe many even now.
"Remembering Jonghyun": Fans come together with SHINee members to pay a heartfelt ode to the late idol
Key, a member of the iconic band SHINee, also posted an evocative message, along with a few images of Jonghyun and other band members, on his Instagram account on December 18, 2023.
Key mentioned that his bones were hurting from the extreme cold today, yet oddly, he felt like seeing his brother Jonghyun by his side in solitude. He continued, saying that Taemin did a great job wrapping up yesterday's show—METAMORPH solo concert Day 2—and that everyone was doing well.
"Hyung, it’s been a while. It's so cold today that my bones hurt, but strangely, I wanted to go see my brother by myself today. Taemin finished the performance yesterday very well and we are all doing well!"
Key went on to mention further how, as he grew older, he occasionally considered several concerns, including Jonghyun's passing away. The idol stated they wouldn't have felt as much remorse for the decades that had passed if they had treated each other with the same level of respect and care when they were younger.
"As I got older, I thought about that from time to time. If we had cared for and respected each other more like we do now when we were younger, wouldn't we have felt less regret about the times that have passed?"
Key stated in his Instagram post that, regrettably, he received these wonderful sentiments as a result of losing his brother and bandmate. After losing the person he loved the most, Key confessed how he matured and learned to recognize a range of emotions.
He went on to say that those members who have passed at the age of 27—at which point Jonghyun left them—have turned into children at heart because they all have stronger hearts and are more forthcoming with their emotions now.
"Of course, even these thoughts are great gifts that my hyung left us. Although it's one of them! Those of us who have passed our hyung's age have become children who have a stronger heart and are more honest about our feelings. Thank you."
Key went on to say that he hopes Jonghyun is doing well wherever he is and thinks about him frequently as the new year approaches. The singer expressed his eternal love and affection for him in an Instagram post.
In addition, Key conveyed his regrets at the conclusion of the letter that there weren't more images of Jonghyun available for usage. He apologized for uploading postcards and begged for Jonghyun's forgiveness.
"Every year when a new year comes, I think of you a lot and hope you do well there too. I always love you and miss you, Kibum. p.s. I don't even have any pictures to use, so don't be mad at me for posting postcards."
This further reminded their fans that Key had once mentioned there aren't many images of Jonghyun and they fear the day when they will finally run out of any new or unseen images of him.
Furthermore, in commemoration, SHINee's management, SM Entertainment, shared a picture of the late idol's performance on the group's official social media page on this day. The post included the phrase,
"We always love you."
Soon after, the group's followers responded to the post with their own words, many of which expressed their adoration for the vocalist. Shawols—the official fandom name of SHINee's fans—posted thousands of tweets in remembrance of the late idol.
From SHINee's 2008 debut until his death on December 18, 2017, at the age of 27, Jonghyun served as the group's lead vocalist. Apart from his role in SHINee, he has written and produced songs for various K-pop singers. These include his collaboration with IU on the song Gloomy Clock, EXO on Playboy, and Lee Hi on Breathe, among others.
Through his own social media channels, the artist was also well-known for being a prominent supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and for speaking out on political and social problems. It was unusual for K-pop idols, particularly for his era, to voice their views on such sensitive topics, but the late idol never shied away from expressing his true self, due to which he earned the admiration and respect of his fans.
Eight days after holding his first solo concert in 2016 and his second on December 9 and 10, 2017, Jonghyun passed suddenly on December 18. Post that, in January 2018, his posthumous album Poet|Artist was released by SM Entertainment.
The late idol's family founded the non-profit organization "Shinin" to promote and assist the development and skills of people with cultural and creative qualities, drawing inspiration from the song's title track.
