Today, Nov. 24, is the first death anniversary of K-pop star Goo Hara, who rose to fame as a member of girl group KARA. Fans posted messages on social media to commemorate her.

It was on Nov. 24, 2019 when Goo Hara took her own life and her body was found at about 6 p.m. at her home in Cheongdam, Gangnam in Seoul. She was 28.

According to the Seoul Gangnam Police, Hara’s housekeeper went to her house after she failed to contact her. She found her and called the police.

A handwritten note was found on her living room table and the police concluded that there was no foul play in her death.

“We found Goo Hara's handwritten note on the living room table. Through the forensics and summarizing the testimony of family members, until now, we have not detected any signs of suspected crime,” said the police, reported Osen.

CCTV footage showed Goo Hara came home at around 12:35 a.m. on Nov. 24. Before her death, her last post on Instagram was on Nov. 23: a photo of her lying in bed with the caption “Good night.”

Goo Hara’s funeral ceremony was held on Nov. 27 with relatives, friends and entertainment industry colleagues in attendance.

Before her death, Goo Hara released the Japanese single “Midnight Queen” on Nov. 13 and held the “Hara Zepp Tour 2019: Hello” on Nov. 14, 15, 17 and 19 in Fukuoka, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.

Goo Hara took her own life more than a month after her close friend Sulli, 25, former member of girl group f(x) committed suicide and her body was found on Oct. 14, 2019 at the home in Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province. Goo Hara deeply mourned her death.

Six months before she died, Goo Hara attempted suicide in May 2019 and apologized, saying, “"I am sorry for causing concerns and a commotion. In terms of health, I am recovering … I had been in agony over a number of overlapping issues. But from now on, I will steel my heart and try to show up healthy," according to Yonhap News.

Before this, her contract with Content Y, a subsidiary of KeyEast, was not renewed after it expired in January 2019.

KARA debuted in 2007 but Goo Hara became a member of the group in 2008. KARA’s popularity rose especially in Japan.

But in January 2016, Goo Hara, Gyuri and Seungyeon left DSP Entertainment when their exclusive contracts expired. Goo Hara signed a contract with KeyEast Entertainment.

Spat with boyfriend

In September 2018, Goo Hara made headlines when she and her boyfriend Choi Jong-bum had a fight and the latter filed a complaint of assault against her. Hara filed counter charges of assault and said he threatened to leak a sex video.

In August 2019, a court found Choi Jong-bum guilty of assault and blackmail in connection with a sex video he took with her and sentenced him to one year and six months in prison suspended for three years.

He filed an appeal and on July 2, 2020, an appeals court under the Seoul Central District Court reversed the ruling and sentenced him to one year in prison. However, he was acquitted of taking the sex video without her consent.

"In fact, the defendant took advantage of the victim's social status as a celebrity and the severity that the sex video would have had on the victim, and used it against her to threaten her, worsening his crimes," the appeals court said in the decision, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Goo Hara’s brother, Goo Ho-in, said that while the verdict brought little justice, "it was unfair to our family" that Choi Jong-bum was not found guilty of illegally filming the video.

"Even if he is sentenced to prison, perhaps my sister will still feel dissatisfied. I will do everything you intended to do but unable to do on your behalf, so I wish you could take a rest there without minding anything. I want to say that I love you," he said, MyDaily reported.

Last month, Korea’s Supreme Court denied the bail request of Choi Jong-bum, saying, "There is no significant reason to grant bail to Choi Jong-bum. The decision was made by a consensus of the Supreme Court justices.”

On Oct. 15 this year, the Supreme Court affirmed Choi Jong-bum’s sentence of one year imprisonment.

Inheritance conflict with mother

After her death, the issue of inheritance became an issue with her mother, who abandoned Goo Hara and her brother when they were young.

Her estranged mother is claiming inheritance to Goo Hara’s properties and her brother has filed a lawsuit against their mom in March this year regarding the division of inherited properties. Her mother left when Goo Hara was just nine years old and they had no exchange of communication for nearly 20 years and she did not contribute anything in raising her children.

Goo Hara passed away as single and under Article 1000 of Korea’s Civil Act on Priority of Inheritance, the ranks of inheritors are: lineal descendants first or the children or grandchildren followed by lineal ascendants or the parents or grandparents, brothers and sisters and collateral blood relatives within the fourth degree.

Goo Ho-in has urged Korea’s lawmakers to enact the “Goo Hara Act,” a bill that would bar parents from inheriting properties of their children if they are found to have neglected them.