Remembering Rottyful Sky, The K-Pop Powerhouse Who Passed Away At 25 Years Old

Rottyful Sky, born Kim Haneul, was a talented producer and powerful vocalist of the early-2000s K-Pop.

Kim debuted in 2001, at just 14 years old, under the alias Haneul. Her debut album, Voice of Purity, and debut single, “Gotta Be Kidding,” earned the public’s adoration for her cute looks and unique performances. 

She was active in the music industry for about three years after that, but when she entered high school, Haneul left the industry for good. The singer later talked about the hiatus, saying that despite preserving the same love for music back then, she had doubts about her singing abilities.

I was worried that someone like me, who can’t sing, could become a singer.

— Rottyful Sky

In 2006 Kim announced that she would be joining the Hip-Hop Dance group Roo’ra. But she withdrew from the group in 2007 before releasing any new content with them. However, her name was still in the credits in Roo’ra’s 2007 album because she quit the group last minute.

The singer had difficulty dealing with her personal fears and revealed that she had spent around a year locked up in her room. It wasn’t until she started studying composition and interacting with new kinds of music that her passion was revived. During this time, Kim became acquainted with some underground artists and formed a group called MADmoiselle in 2009. The group released one song and then disbanded.

While working with underground artists, Kim started finding her identity as a musician, and that’s when she met actor and singer Ryu Si Won, who pursued her to return to the entertainment industry. Under Ryu’s guidance, Kim made her full-fledged comeback in 2010 under a new alias, Rottyful Sky.

Despite her decision to return, the singer shared during interviews that she found it exhausting to be on camera and go to TV shows. Her goal was to share honest music with her fans. Rottyful Sky debuted with the single album No Way, showing off her powerful vocals and performance in the music video. She wrote and composed “No Way” and “My House,” the two songs included in her debut album.

“No Way” charted on the South Korean national Gaon Weekly and Monthly Download Charts, which ranks best-selling non-physical, digital music sales. The track peaked at No. 88. The singer also participated in several drama OSTs. Her song “Blue Bird” for the Scent of a Woman drama earned her much recognition in 2011.

While her career as Rottyful Sky was off to a promising start, she also worked with artists as a songwriter. In 2013, After School member Kahi announced t”It’ser “It’s ME” was composed by Rottyful Sky, her close friend.

But the same year, Rottyful Sky passed away at just 25 years old. The previous year, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was undergoing treatment. During that time, she had already paused all her activities as a singer. The last time fans saw her was at actress Han Hye Jin‘s wedding, where she appeared to have gained weight due to her ongoing medications.

On October 8, 2013, KST, Rottyful Sky, aka Kim Haneul, drew her last breath after slipping into a coma while receiving treatment. Industry friends such as Kahi, Han Hye Jin, Um Ji Won, Park Tam Hee, and Yoo Sun attended her funeral.

A year after Kim’s death, Kahi posted a picture of her friend’s shrine on Instagram, mourning her loss.

Despite her life being cut short, Kim’s aspirations to touch hearts through her music seems to have been realized. Even years after her death, listeners have been discovering her works and are left in awe of her immense talent.

• “Will we ever see a female singer who could switch up her image so perfectly like this? From her physical appearance to her singing style, it was perfect..TT..She must have put in so much effort. It’s still one of my favorite dance songs, I listen to it every day…TT…Why did you leave so early, Haneul-ah…”
• “A popular song and singer that deserves to be revisited…Rottyful Sky, Haneul.”