South Korean pop star HyunA collapsed onstage during a live performance at the Waterbomb 2025 music festival in Macao, China, according to reports indicating the incident occurred on November 9. The 33-year-old singer, whose real name is Kim Hyun-ah, was performing her 2011 hit song “Bubble Pop” when she suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the stage floor on Sunday.
Video footage captured by audience members shows HyunA dancing before collapsing during the performance. Her backup dancers immediately rushed to her aid as she fell, and security personnel quickly carried her offstage. The incident prompted an abrupt halt to the show and sparked widespread concern among her 16 million Instagram followers about the singer’s health.
Following the collapse, HyunA addressed the incident in an Instagram post, offering an apology to fans who attended the music festival. “I’m sorry for not being able to perform as professionally as I wanted to. Honestly, I don’t remember anything,” she wrote in Korean. She expressed regret to fans who traveled to Macau for the performance and promised to improve her stamina and continue giving her best.
The collapse followed a concerning social media post from HyunA just days earlier. She shared photos on Instagram, including an image of herself standing on a scale showing 49.88 kilograms, approximately 110 pounds. The post revealed she had lost 10 kilograms in one month, a dramatic weight reduction that raised alarms among fans and health experts.
This dramatic weight loss came after HyunA announced a strict diet plan on October 3. The decision followed pregnancy rumors that circulated after she married singer Yong Jun-hyung in 2024 and gained some weight. Facing speculation about her appearance, the 5-foot-5-inch performer committed to rapidly losing weight, which appears to have taken a severe toll on her physical health.
HyunA has been candid about her history of health challenges, including a previous diagnosis of vasovagal syncope. This condition causes a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, which leads to reduced blood flow to the brain and can result in temporary loss of consciousness. The condition can be triggered by various factors, including emotional distress, fatigue, dehydration, and rapid weight loss.
The singer has disclosed a history of collapsing, particularly when her weight falls below 45 kilograms. She previously revealed that she collapsed 12 times in one month in 2020, stating she pushed herself too hard because she “wanted to perform well on stage.” These incidents occurred while filming for her album and during video production.
HyunA’s struggles with disordered eating have been well-documented. She has previously confessed to eating just one piece of sushi daily in an effort to maintain an extremely low weight. On Korean television programs, she admitted there were periods when she would go an entire week without eating, sharing how surviving on minimal food destroyed her health by age 26.
Beyond her physical health challenges, HyunA has also been open about her mental health struggles. In 2019, she revealed she had been diagnosed with depression and panic disorder. She initially had difficulty accepting these diagnoses, writing in a letter to fans that she couldn’t believe it for a year because she had always been so tough. She disclosed that she was receiving natural treatment every other week.
In her 2019 letter, HyunA explained she had hidden her vasovagal syncope diagnosis for years due to fear of losing career opportunities. She wrote that she wanted to be on stage but worried that if people knew she was sick, they might not want her to perform. She later told People that knowing she has fans experiencing similar issues motivated her to speak publicly about her struggles, giving them power to see someone trying despite facing the same challenges.
HyunA debuted with the Wonder Girls in 2007 and later became a member of the group 4Minute. She built a successful solo career with hits including “Bubble Pop,” which was released in 2011 and remains one of her most recognizable songs. Her career has made her one of K-pop’s most prominent performers, though it has come amid ongoing battles with health challenges that highlight the intense pressures faced by performers in the South Korean entertainment industry.
Following her collapse, HyunA promised to work on building her stamina and continuing to improve. She reassured her supporters about her condition, telling fans, “Don’t worry about me. I hope everyone has a good night.”