When Billboard met with Sulli in 2013 at the KCON Los Angeles festival, it was noted that she appeared "cool, calm and...guarded at first" before warming up into a ball of "genuine excitement." Now, that gradual blooming of personality acts as an appropriate metaphor to her too-short-but-impactful career that ended Monday (Oct. 14) as the world learned that the K-pop star and actor had died at age 25. READ MORE South Korean Pop Star Sulli Found Dead at Home Even from her early K-pop beginnings, it seemed as if Sulli (real name Choi Jin-ri) was destined to have an unconventional place in the industry. As a standout stunner in the girl group f(x) under K-pop's biggest agency SM Entertainment, Choi and her band members deviated from K-pop's usual glossy and bubbly looks with atypical, experimental singles that included everything from songs that related wisdom teeth to relationships in "Rum Pum Pum Pum" to "Pinocchio (Danger)" that shouted out the beloved Disney character. The starlet became known for her beauty -- considered one of the top beauties in SM -- loved for visual aspects like her "eye smile."

After five years with f(x), Sulli took a break from her group in the midst of the group's promotions for 2014 album Red Light, citing both mental and physical fatigue from continuous comments and rumors that followed her. Those comments kicked into overdrive in those months over whispers the young star was dating Choiza, the Dynamic Duo rapper 14 years her senior, when any type of dating is frowned upon by fans in the K-pop world. While her professional work focused on movies and modeling, the star became more known for her social media presence and divisive viewpoints. For South Korea's deeply conservative society, her "controversial" -- with controversial purposely put in quotes here -- opinions like not being a fan of bras or posting public photos with her boyfriends stirred the country's notoriously harsh online commenter community. The star also wasn't afraid to get political as one of the very few celebrities showing public support when South Korea overturned its abortion ban and staking her position as pro-choice. The curious nature of the star's penchant for provocation was heavily covered by Korean media with international fans kept abreast of the outrage she seemed to garner regularly on translation websites. A 2017 article titled "Does Sulli dream of being the Kim Kardashian of Korea?" garnered pickup across Korean websites as commenters called her names and criticized her body, talent and mental well-being.

READ MORE Super Junior, Nu'Est, N.Flying and More K-Pop Stars Cancel Events in Wake of Sulli Death One of Sulli's biggest artistic statements came in 2017 from Real, the final movie before her untimely death. In the film, the then-22-year-old actor played a rehabilitation therapist, starred in a nude scene and portrayed drug use. The movie sparked more negative rumors about her, most notably that she was actually using drugs, all of which are illegal in Korea. Sulli eventually spoke out about the rumors, saying she embraced method acting to do her best for the role, watching films about drugs "five times a day." Her perceived controversies were rooted in her wanting to commit to her art, a misconception that continued throughout her life. Her inclination to controversy eventually seemed to color her career, as she joined the Korean variety show The Night of Hate Comments as the youngest and most outspoken host on the cast that brought celebrities on to respond and react to their online detractors. On the show, Sulli confidently opened up about many topics, including her pregnancy rumors, family plans, dating preferences and more.