K-Pop Idol Dies At 23 After Battle With Leukemia

K-pop idol Shim Jaehyun, member of a disbanded group F.able, has passed away at the age of 23 after a private battle with leukemia.

According to Korean media reports, Jaehyun died on June 29, having fought the illness for several years.

His diagnosis had not been made public, and many only learned of his condition after his death.

News of his passing was first shared by close friends, sparking an outpouring of grief from fans and those in the industry.

Former bandmate Hojun paid tribute on social media, expressing regret over their lost contact and thanking Jaehyun for the time they shared together.

Fans also flooded the group’s Instagram page with messages, including, “Hope you’re no longer in pain” and “Thank you for all your hard work on stage.”

Jaehyun made his debut in 2020 as a member of the five-piece group F.able.

The quintet, which released singles such as ‘Burn It Up’, ‘Run Run Run’, and ‘Cloud 9’, struggled to gain traction in the highly competitive K-pop industry — a challenge made even harder by the pandemic.

​In 2023, the group became inactive and three of the members — Junhyeong, Jeong and Sihoon — went on to become part of another band called Enphaze, leading many to assume F.able had quietly disbanded.

Jaehyun also stepped away from the spotlight, and little was known about his personal life following F.able’s disbandment.