IVE Says Goodbye to Daejeon Elementary School Victim Kim Ha-neul “Her Dream Was to Be Like Jang Wonyoung”
At the funeral of the late Kim Ha-neul (8), the victim of the tragic elementary school murder case in Daejeon that broke the hearts of the entire nation, a wreath bearing IVE‘s name and photocards of the group were placed. This was both a grieving father’s wish for his beloved daughter, who had dreamed of becoming like IVE’s Jang Wonyoung, and a gesture of condolence from the group.
On February 11, a funeral altar was set up for Kim Ha-neul at Konyang University Hospital’s funeral hall. Among the tributes, a wreath inscribed with “Singer IVE” and “Rest in Peace” stood alongside IVE’s photocards.
Earlier, Ha-neul’s father revealed through an interview that his daughter had been a devoted fan of IVE. He shared, “Ha-neul’s dream was to be like Jang Wonyoung. For her birthday, she asked me to buy Jang Wonyoung’s photocard. No matter how late it was, if Jang Wonyoung appeared on any program, she had to watch it live.“
He continued, “Even when her younger sibling wanted to watch ‘Pororo’, she insisted on watching Jang Wonyoung. If there’s one thing I could ask, I would be so grateful if, by any chance, IVE or Jang Wonyoung could say a warm farewell to my daughter as she leaves.”
Moved by this, IVE’s agency sent a wreath and photocards in the group’s name to express their condolences for Kim Ha-neul’s final journey.
Meanwhile, Kim Ha-neul tragically lost her life on February 10 at around 5:50 PM when she was fatally stabbed by a female teacher in her 40s at an elementary school in Seo-gu, Daejeon. The perpetrator, identified as “A”, reportedly suffered stab wounds at the scene and is currently receiving medical treatment.
During police questioning, A confessed, “I planned to kill any child then die together.” The police are awaiting her recovery to further investigate the exact motive and circumstances of the crime.
