Park Boram: K-Pop Star Dead at 30

Park Boram, a South Korean singer who has steadily built her career over the past decade, has unexpectedly died at the age of 30, according to her agency Xanadu Entertainment.

“We are here to share sorrowful and heartbreaking news,” shared Xanadu in a statement. “Park Bo Ram suddenly passed away late at night on April 11. All of the artists and executives at Xanadu Entertainment are deeply mourning the deceased with great sadness. It is even more heartbreaking that we have to tell you this sudden news to all of the fans who support Park Bo Ram. The funeral will be held after consulting with the bereaved’s family. Once again, we send our deepest condolences to the deceased so she may rest in peace.”

According to The Korea Herald, Boram was with two other women at a friend’s home when she collapsed in cardiac arrest. She was transported to a hospital but died roughly an hour later. Police are currently investigating the cause of death.

Boram has had success in her native Korea since first appearing as a contestant in 2010 on Mnet’s “Superstar K2,” where she finished in eighth place. She put out her debut single “Beautiful,” which hit No. 2 on Korea’s Circle Digital Chart in 2014. That song was a semi-autobiographical tune about the pressures to conform to beauty standards. 

She released her first EP “Celepretty” the following year, earning a second top 10 entry with the title track. Amid a string of one-off singles and collaborations with artists like Eric Nam and Park Kyung, she put out her second EP “Orange Moon” in 2017 and followed with soundtrack songs and standalone tracks. She most recently put out a pair of singles — “I Hope” and “I Miss You” — earlier this year. Boram was working on an album to coincide with her 10th anniversary as a recording musician this summer.