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Korean-American K-pop stars Eric Nam, Day6’s Jae talk racism, panic attacks and finding a place to belong in aid of mental health awareness

  • Talking about mental health issues is seen as taboo in South Korea, leaving many K-pop stars to grapple with depression and mental illness on their own
  • The struggles can be even more pronounced for those who were born in the US, who are often treated like outsiders by both Americans and Koreans

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Eric Nam, who has launched a paid podcast series to promote conversations about mental health and wellness. Photo: Instagram / ericnam
Associated Pressin Seoul

K-pop star Eric Nam was having a meeting in New York when he suddenly felt a pain in his chest.

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“I thought I was going to have to call 911,” he said, recounting the experience from 2019. But instead he remained sitting and “had to quietly breathe my way” through the meeting, he said.

Similarly, Jae-hyung Park, better known as Jae from K-pop band “Day6”, was in a cab returning from a music video shoot in Seoul last year when he experienced what felt like a heart attack.

At first, he put it down to stress, saying that for years he had dealt with “out of place” and “weird” feelings. But he realised he could not ignore the symptoms, and in the “calmest voice” asked the driver to take him to a nearby hospital.

I’m … feeling like I am going to die, I am going to die, I am going to die
Jae-hyung Park of Day6 recalls having a panic attack

“I’m … feeling like I am going to die, I am going to die, I am going to die,” he recounted.

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