Influencer Mina Chan Dies at 25 After Livestream as Family Warns About the Impact of Online Harassment

Japanese influencer Mina Chan, a social media personality known for her fashion, beauty and lifestyle content as well as her enthusiasm for K-pop group ENHYPEN, has died at the age of 25.

Chan reportedly died by suicide during a livestream from her residence in Seoul, South Korea, on August 5, according to reports from Korean media outlets and subsequent statements shared by her family.

Her family publicly confirmed her death several days later in an Instagram Stories update posted on August 11. The message said they had been able to bring Chan “home” two days earlier, on what would have been her 26th birthday.

Chan had built a sizable social media following before her death. She reportedly had more than 300,000 followers on TikTok, where her account has since been deleted, as well as roughly 150,000 followers on Instagram.

Her Instagram profile indicated that she was living in South Korea, and much of her online presence focused on lifestyle posts, fashion, cosmetics and her interest in Korean entertainment.

She was particularly well known among followers as a passionate fan of ENHYPEN, the South Korean boy group with a large international audience.

News of Chan’s death spread rapidly online after clips reportedly taken from her final livestream began circulating across social media platforms.

The widespread sharing of those videos prompted renewed concern about the way graphic or highly distressing material can spread online after a tragedy, particularly when the person involved already has a large following.

According to The Korea Herald and The Chosun Daily, the Yongsan Police Station confirmed that a Japanese woman in her 20s had died by suicide during a livestream at her home in Seoul.

Authorities reportedly found the woman dead at approximately 5:33 a.m.

Police have not publicly identified the woman by name.

However, Korean media reports about the case emerged alongside posts from Chan’s family confirming her death, leading multiple outlets to connect the reports.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death, according to the Korean publications.

Chan’s sister was reportedly the first member of the family to publicly announce the loss.

On August 5, screenshots circulated online showing an Instagram Stories post in which her sister described Chan as a caring person who had always treated others warmly.

“My beloved older sister, who was always kind and warm to everyone she met, has passed away,” the message read, according to screenshots of the post.

“May she rest in peace.”

The family’s later message went beyond announcing her death and addressed what they described as the emotional impact of negative commentary Chan had received on social media.

According to the statement, she had been “deeply hurt” by “critical comments” directed at her online.

The family urged social media users to think more carefully about the possible effect of their posts on other people.

“I hope that more people will consider how everything they post — words, photos, videos, etc. — is perceived by others,” the family wrote.

Their comments placed attention on an increasingly significant issue surrounding influencer culture: the psychological toll that public scrutiny, criticism and harassment can have on individuals whose lives are constantly visible online.

For influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers, social media can provide community, career opportunities and creative freedom. At the same time, it can expose creators to relentless judgment from strangers, including criticism of their appearance, relationships, behavior and personal choices.

Chan’s family did not provide a detailed explanation of every factor that may have contributed to her death, and it would be inappropriate to reduce such a complex tragedy to a single cause.

However, their statement made clear that they believed hurtful online commentary had caused her considerable emotional pain.

The family also used the message to thank those who had supported Chan during her life and helped her relatives after her death.

“Finally I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of the friends who have been kind to my daughter, to everyone who has supported and encouraged her, and to the friends who have helped our family during this difficult time,” the update read.

The statement concluded with an emotional message directed toward the people Chan had met during her time in South Korea.

“To my Korean brothers and sisters, thank you for loving me, even though it was only for a short time. It was fun, friends! Let’s meet again.”

The words reflected the strong connection Chan had apparently developed with both her life in Korea and the community surrounding her online presence.

Her interest in K-pop was a major part of that identity.

As an ENHYPEN superfan, Chan regularly participated in an international fan culture that connects people across different countries through music, performances, fashion and online communities.

Her move to South Korea brought her geographically closer to the entertainment culture she admired, while her social media platforms allowed her to share that experience with followers around the world.

Alongside K-pop-related content, Chan posted about beauty, style and everyday life.

That combination helped her attract a large audience across multiple platforms.

Following her death, many followers encountered the news not only through family statements or media reports, but also through reposted material from the livestream.

The circulation of such footage has raised difficult questions about responsible behavior online after a person dies.

Reposting highly distressing material can compound trauma for relatives and friends and can expose other viewers to content they may not be prepared to see.

Mental-health experts and social media safety advocates have repeatedly encouraged users to avoid resharing graphic suicide-related content and instead focus on verified information, respectful tributes and resources for people who may be struggling.

The circumstances of Chan’s death also highlight how quickly a deeply personal crisis can become an international public event when it occurs on a livestream.

A person who is already known online can have their final moments recorded, copied and redistributed before relatives have even had time to process what has happened.

For families, that creates an additional layer of grief.

They are not only mourning the loss of someone they loved but may also have to contend with rumors, speculation, screenshots and videos spreading beyond their control.

Chan’s relatives appeared to respond by emphasizing the person they knew privately.

Her sister remembered her as someone who was “kind and warm to everyone she met.”

That description offers a markedly different focus from the viral attention surrounding her death.

Instead of defining Chan by her final livestream, her family’s words point toward the relationships, friendships and experiences that made up the rest of her life.

The investigation in South Korea remains ongoing, and police have not publicly disclosed extensive details about the case.

As a result, reports about Chan’s death should continue to distinguish between information confirmed by authorities, statements issued by her family and speculation circulating online.

What is clear is that a young creator with a substantial international following has died, leaving her family, friends and followers confronting a sudden and highly public loss.

Chan would have turned 26 only days after her death.

Her family’s announcement that they were able to bring her home on her birthday added another painful detail to their farewell.

For the people who followed her online, her death may serve as a reminder that social media personalities are not insulated from the emotional consequences of public criticism simply because they have large audiences.

Behind the follower counts, edited photos and carefully presented videos are people whose experiences with praise and hostility can have very real effects.

Chan’s family has made that concern central to its public message.

Rather than asking people simply to remember her as an influencer, they urged others to reconsider the way they communicate online and to recognize that comments posted casually or anonymously may still be received by a real person on the other side of the screen.

As the investigation continues, Mina Chan is being remembered by her family as a loving sister and daughter, by followers as a lifestyle creator and K-pop fan, and by friends as someone whose warmth extended beyond what audiences saw online.

Her death at 25 has prompted grief across the communities that knew her, while also renewing attention on the need for greater care, responsibility and empathy in digital spaces.