WINNER member quits after mental illness
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WINNER's Nam Tae-hyun
By Ko Dong-hwan
Idol star and actor Nam Tae-hyun from K-pop boy band WINNER has stopped all public activity due to mental illness.
His agency YG Entertainment told Hankook Ilbo that Nam had indefinitely quit show business because of a psychological problem.
Nam, 22, has had the problem since he began with the agency, but the condition has worsened recently.
“We talked to Nam’s mother and decided it is no longer safe for him to continue with the band’s schedule,” the agency said.
Nam left the dorm where he lived with the band’s other four members and moved to his parents’ home.
The band has postponed releasing its new album.
Debuting with the band in 2013, Nam also acted in TV dramas and reality variety shows, including MBC’s “Girl of 0AM” (2015) and SBS’s “Late Night Restaurant” (2016), and “Under the Black Moonlight” (2016) and tvN’s “Actor School.”
Although the band’s youngest member, Nam is the main vocalist and known for his production skill.
He wrote two lead tracks from the band’s latest album “EXIT:E” and helped produce many of the band’s songs.