SM to create permanent memorial of SHINee's Jonghyun after vandals strike
A memorial will be created for Jonghyun (Picture: Imaginechina/REX/Shutterstock)

SM has announced plans to create a permanent memorial for Jonghyun after the current temporary memorial was repeatedly vandalised by pedestrians and homeless people looking for food.

Jonghyun passed away last month after taking his own life and since then๏ฟฝ?Seoulโ€™s COEX SM Atrium has become a shrine to the late singer, which has been covered in post-its, messages, gifts and flowers.

But after the shrine was repeatedly ravaged by pedestrians and homeless people looking for food, SM have vowed to create a more permanent place for fans to pay their respects.

SM to create permanent memorial of SHINee's Jonghyun after vandals strike
(Picture: Twitter)
SM to create permanent memorial of SHINee's Jonghyun after vandals strike
(Picture: Twitter)

In a note, they wrote: โ€˜We sincerely thank you for visiting his memorial and paying tribute to the deceased in this cold weather. We are preparing a separate permanent memorial location so fans can honor him and the long time that they had known him. We will announce the details as soon as possible. Thank you for your consideration.โ€™

Jonghyun funeral pics
Jonghyun died on 18 December (Picture: Reuters)

Fans have had to sort gifts into labelled boxes to discourage those searching for food from destroying the shrine, reports Koreaboo.

The temporary memorial was originally created for those who couldnโ€™t attend the funeral on 21 December, where he was laid to rest by his bandmates and visited by over 10,000 fans.

Jonghyun took his own life on 18 December 2017 after penning a heartfelt letter on the depression he was suffering.

In the letter, Jonghyun wrote that his depression โ€˜slowly gnawed away at meโ€™ and โ€˜eventually devoured meโ€™. He said that he wanted to escape, and wrote: โ€˜You asked why I live. Just because. Just because. Everyone just lives just because.

โ€˜If you ask why people die, they would probably say itโ€™s because theyโ€™re exhausted.

โ€˜I suffered and agonized about it. I never learned how to turn this pain into happiness.โ€™

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