Koffee & Kpop

It’s been nearly ten years since SHINee’s Kim Jonghyun died.

While for many Shawols, there isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t remember him, birthday cafes celebrating him are becoming rare. This year, there were two. One was for only two days–the day prior to, and on, his birthday.

I was fortunate enough to be in Seoul for the other birthday cafe so come with me as we celebrate this amazing artist who left us too soon.

I got a minor shock upon entering the cafe, as there was a large cut-out of Jonghyun at the top of the stairs, beckoning you to come inside the cafe. I was not expecting that!

After finding my friend and sitting down with my sweet iced coffee, we chatted for a bit before we got up to take a look around.

“Oh, this is stuff from a mega fan,” I commented, after seeing all of the memorabilia. In addition to SHINee albums, Jonghyun’s albums, original sealed lightsticks, and a signed Sherlock album, they had a slogan from Jonghyun’s solo concert. While I was admiring their memorabilia, it was also a little bittersweet. In addition to the idea that he had so much more music to create and perform, it’s sad to think of him suffering, wondering whether others thought he did his best. You did, Jonghyun. You did so well.

Another thing that made me realize that this was a mega fan was the jacket, displayed in a corner of the cafe. It had been worn by Jonghyun and was purchased in an auction.

The entire experience felt different than it had several years ago, when I went to my first birthday cafe, which was for Jonghyun. There had been a lot of people then. I had made a bunch of new friends, some of whom I’m still in touch with today. I often wonder when the year will be when there are no Jonghyun cafes, and hope that that will never happen–that we will always have a space, however small, to come together and remember him on his birthday.

In addition to the birthday cafe, there was a billboard in Hyehwa Station that I stopped by last weekend. There were many notes to Jonghyun posted up on the board, in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese. I haven’t seen this done on any other billboards. The sign had been paid for by a Japanese fan and reads (courtesy Google translate), “A heart illuminated by a light that resembles you. When it’s full, I will shine on you.”

The Shiny Foundation, an organization started by Jonghyun’s family can be accessed here and if you’d like to make a donation in his memory, you can do so by following this link.

We miss you, Jonghyun. You did well. We will never forget you.