In her last interview with Newsen on 2nd September, Ladies’ Code member EunB revealed that she had wanted to spend Chuseok with her family. She said, “I want to spend a normal day eating Chuseok food with my family at home for the first in a long time.”
She explained that she believed “the little things in life are the happiest”.
Last night, Ladies’ Code were returning to Seoul after a schedule at Daegu when the back tire of the van fell out and ran into a wall. Member RiSe sustained serious injuries and had to have an emergency brain surgery that lasted over 9 hours. She’s still unconscious as of now and “under careful observation”. Her parents will be flying from Japan to Korea as they await for her to regain consciousness.
Other members such as Sojung was operated for an arm bone fracture while Ladies Code leader Ashley and member Zuny are being treated for shock at the hospital.
The accident was fatal for EunB as she passed away at the scene.
Following the crash, Ladies’ Code’s agency Polaris Entertainment released several official statements:
After a schedule in Daegu on September 2, Ladies’ Code was headed back to Seoul. Around 1:30 AM in Suwon, an issue occured with the car′s back wheel coming off,” the agency stated at the time of the accident. With the rainy road and wheel coming off, the vehicle spun several times, hitting a guardrail.
Due to this, EunB unfortunately passed away. The other members, RiSe is in critical condition while So Jung is injured and hospitalised, currently receiving treatment. The other members, manager, and stylists, who were in the car, did not receive serious injuries.
Our staff is also unable to recover from the shock and are in great sorrow right now. We want to apologise 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.
RiSe’s long operation has ended and she’s currently under careful observation. The other members are currently hospitalised in Seoul. Sojung underwent an operation for her bone fracture. Ashley and Zuny did not sustain major injuries, but because of the shock and trauma from the accident they are currently undergoing several examinations and treatment.
EunB’s remains are attended to at Korea University Anam Hospital. Her funeral will be held on the 5th.
EunB’s family, consisting of her mother, father, and younger sibling arrived at the Yongin Seobu Police Station the morning after the crash for their statements. They were reported to have been struck by disbelief and were sobbing while saying:
We went to the hospital after being contacted at daybreak. She entered the hospital in a deceased state. There was no medical malpractice. We heard that she was on her way to her dorms after attending the recording of KBS’s ‘Open Concert’ in Daegu.
EunB’s memorial is presently being held at Korea University Anan Hospital, with family, friends, and fellow celebrities coming by to say farewell at the funeral hall. As seen in the image above, her picture is encased in a frame and surrounded by flowers.
As at time of writing, her burial site is still undecided.
Upon hearing the tragic news, Ladies’ Code’s fan club (lovingly called LAVELY) came together to grant the late EunB her last wish: To have a number one song. LAVELY then started the campaign and said, “EunB’s one wish was to be #1 on the charts. We hope our that our hopes get sent to the sky, please let us hear ‘I’m Fine Thank You’.”
“I’m Fine Thank You”, a song from their second mini-album skyrocketed to number one on several real-time South Korean music charts after it was released in September last year. Other fans from other groups also joined the campaign. “I’m Fine Thank You” has since reached number one on Bugs, Naver Music, Mnet, MelOn, and Genie:
The most heart-wrenching move above all is how LAVELY, K-Pop fans, and netizens alike have associated the lyrics to “I’m Fine Thank You” to the accident, making the song more significant than ever. The lyrics state, “Today I cry, I wish you happiness forever, good bye,” and “It’s okay to smile thinking of me once in a while.”
Even at rest, it’s EunB’s final dream come true.
Meanwhile, the South Korean police are currently investigating the fatal car crash. According to Yonhap News, police are looking into whether criminal charges will apply to the driver, 27-year-old Park. The police stated, “First, we’re investigating whether the driver was speeding. However, the speed mark didn’t show up due to the rain, and the location of the crash site does not have CCTV. As there were no passing vehicles at the time, we haven’t been able to secure a black box.”
Our hearts go out to Ladies’ Code’s families, friends, loved ones, and LAVELY.