South Korean pop artist Park Bo-Ram gained fame for her hit songs “Celepretty” and “Dynamic Love.” She was recognized for her talent with a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards.
One of her most popular tracks, “Hyehwadong,” has accumulated over 15 million plays on Spotify. Sadly, the rising pop star tragically passed away on April 11, 2024, at the age of 30.
Who was Park Bo-Ram?
Born in Chuncheon, South Korea, Bo-ram grew up with both older and younger brothers. However, her young life was greatly impacted by the loss of her father in 2010, which happened around the same time she began her journey in the competitive realm of K-pop.
At 17, Bo-ram participated in the well-known South Korean singing contest called “Superstar K2”. Her passion for R&B music captivated the audience and showcased her exceptional singing abilities and stage charisma.
Although she did not win the top award, the opportunity proved to be crucial in her development. “Superstar K2” served as a valuable platform for her to refine her talents and gain valuable experience in performing.
Thanks to her newfound confidence and determination, Park Bo-ram was able to secure a training contract with Jellyfish Entertainment, a highly regarded K-pop agency. With this opportunity, she underwent intense training in singing, dancing, and performance, all crucial components for achieving success as an idol.
Although she had a temporary stint at Jellyfish, she eventually joined MMO Entertainment (previously known as WakeOne), which is a subsidiary of CJ ENM, to prepare for her official debut. Unfortunately, Bo-ram experienced another major personal setback in 2017 when her mother passed away from an illness.
Despite facing challenges, Park Bo-ram continued to push through, using her love for music as a powerful motivation. This was evident in 2011 when she demonstrated her growing abilities by contributing her singing talent to the popular Korean drama “49 Days” with the song “Always”.
Career
After undergoing rigorous training and honing her artistic skills, Park Bo-ram made her official debut on August 7, 2014. Her first single, “Beautiful”, which featured rapper Zico, was a significant milestone in her flourishing career.
On August 10, 2014, she made her first appearance on SBS Inkigayo through a televised performance. The song gained significant popularity and ranked at number two on the Gaon chart. Later in November of the same year, she starred as the love interest in Natthew’s music video for the single “Love Will Be OK.”
In 2015, Bo-ram continued to delve into artistry. She added her song “Falling” to the soundtrack of the drama “Hyde Jekyll, Me”, which was made available on January 22, 2015.
In 2015, Park Bo-ram debuted her first mini-album called “Celepretty” on April 23, featuring the lead single of the same name. The single reached number seven on the Gaon chart, garnering positive attention. Bo-ram continued to have a hectic year, releasing another single in May called “Super Body” to endorse a dietary drink, solidifying her marketability.
She continued to work with other artists, including a guest appearance on Park Kyung’s single “Ordinary Love”, which became a hit on the Gaon Digital Charts. She also joined Eric Nam in events such as “The Walk”, an interactive virtual event.
In 2015, Park Bo-ram released the single “Sorry” in October and also contributed the track “Hyehwadong (Or Ssangmundong)” to the soundtrack of the well-known drama “Reply 1988” in November.
She shared her acoustic single, “Dynamic Love”, on April 21, 2016. Bo-ram also took on the challenge of competing on the well-known singing show “King of Mask Singer” as “I Am Completely Shrill-Voiced”. This demonstrated her determination to face new experiences.
On July 13, 2016, she released her second mini-album, titled “Orange Moon”. The lead single, “Why, You?”, featured artist Samuel Seo. In December 2017, she also participated in the soundtrack for the drama “Prison Playbook” with the song “Like A Dream”.
The song “Will Be Fine” was released as a ballad single in February 2018, followed by another single titled “Please, Stop Me” featuring rapper Lil Boi in April 2018. Both songs were released digitally.
Park Bo-ram’s move to a new agency, Huayi Brothers, was first reported in October 2018. However, by December 2021, it was announced that she had signed with Xanadu Entertainment.
Cause of Death
On April 11, 2024, Park Bo-ram‘s life came to a sudden and unfortunate end. The Namyangju police department reported that they found Bo-ram unresponsive at a friend’s residence in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
According to the report, she had been spending time with two friends and left to use the restroom around 9:55 pm. However, when she did not come back for an extended period, her friends became worried and found her “hunched over the sink, unresponsive”.
Despite attempts to resuscitate her using CPR, Park Bo-ram was declared deceased at Hanyang University Guri Hospital at 11:17 pm that same evening, after emergency services arrived.
Her agency, Xanadu Entertainment provided a statement to dispel rumors and provide clarification after the heartbreaking death of Bo-ram. The statement specifically addressed the findings of the autopsy, emphasizing that there was no evidence of murder or self-inflicted harm.
Xanadu Entertainment requested that fans and the general public avoid sharing unverified information and cautioned that legal measures may be taken against those who do. The agency concluded by stating that the complete autopsy findings would be disclosed to the grieving family at a later time.
