K-Pop's EunB Has Died

It's a sad day for the K-pop community: girl group Ladies' Code lost its member EunB in a horrific car accident on Wednesday that also injured several of the band's other members. According to their label, Polaris Entertainment, group members Rise and So Jung have both been hospitalized for serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment. The other two group members, as well as other passengers in the car, were not hurt.

The tragic incident occurred as the group drove to Seoul early Wednesday morning, and the back wheel of their van fell off, causing the vehicle to crash into a freeway guardrail. The police are investigating for more information.

EunB, a stage name for Go Eun-bi, was 22. A relative of Seoul reporter Kim Sung Joon, she was well-known prior to Ladies' Code formation in 2013, but it was the release of their debut album, Code 01, that sparked their fame. In a statement to Yahoo! Philippines, Polaris Entertainment expressed their sadness over the singer's death.

"Our staff is also unable to recover from the shock and are in great sorrow right now," they said. "We want to apologize to all the fans and everyone who have received much shock, and we ask for everyone to pray for the quick recovery of the members."

According to the Wall Street Journal, the intensity of the girl group's schedule is being questioned as a possible cause, as Ladies' Code is just one of several K-pop acts to experience car crashes in recent months. As local media have noted, many of these groups are expected to work extremely long hours due to increased industry demand, causing their staff — such as drivers — to be available round-the-clock.

The conditions of South Korea's roads are also a possible factor in the crash, as the country has one of the highest road-traffic death ratios of any developed country. As of now, though, it's unknown if there was a problem with the freeway the group's van was driving on, or if speed, distraction, or the bad weather (it was raining) were involved in the accident.

Later on Wednesday, a memorial service was held for EunB at Korea University Hospital. Friends and family placed flowers near a framed photo of the singer, and many of her fans have taken to Twitter to express their sorrow, as well as help the late star's final wish become a reality:

Image: Allkpop/Twitter