The Hallyu Phenomenon has been growing more and more each day thanks to various South Korean idols such as K-pop singers, actors, and actresses. Unfortunately, in this environment, suicide in South Korea has emerged, cutting short the lives of young talents on the rise.
Which Korean celebrities have taken their lives? What measures are being taken to change this reality? What do mental health professionals say on this subject? Let's see it now!
Table of Contents
Suicide in South Korea
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), South Korea has the second highest suicide rate in the world. The rate is higher among elderly people, the reason being the vulnerability they experience; many are unable to retire with dignity, which is especially common among those with low income.
Then come young people who also have a high mortality rate for taking their own life, especially among men. It is a matter treated seriously, but it becomes a matter of fact when it happens in the artistic environment.
WHO data from 2015 show that in the country there were 24.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. And in that same year most of the deaths were of people between 10 and 39 years old.
celebrity suicide
Many South Korean idols have drastically cut their lives short, an evil that is often masked by a smile and gorgeous stage performances. Let's look at some celebrities who lost their lives to deep grief.
Jonghyun
Jonghyun is the stage name of Kim Jong-hyun (김종현) was born on April 8, 1990 in Seoul. He was a singer, songwriter and producer for the group SHInee under SM Entertainment. The beginning of his career was in 2008 with the band that ended up becoming one of the most successful in South Korea. Jonghyun committed suicide in December 2017 at the age of 27. Before the incident, he was already showing signs of depression in his melancholy songs and posts on social media.
Sulli
Sulli's real name was Choi Jin-ri (최진리) and she was from the South Korean city of Busan. Born on March 29, 1994, she began her career in 2005 as an actress. In 2009, she became a member of the group f(x) and stayed until 2015. However, during this period she also acted in several doramas. She was found dead in October 2019, with her death confirmed as suicide. Close friends stated that she was suffering from depression. Sulli was a close friend of Jonghyun and Koo Hara.
Koo Hara
Koo Hara or Goo Hara (구하라) was born in Gwangju on January 3, 1991. Hara was a singer and Korean actress. In 2008, she began her career as a member of the group Kara under DSP Media and remained until 2016. During this period, she was part of reality show presentations and made her acting debut. Hara's love life was surrounded by problems; she suffered abuse and faced threats from her ex-boyfriend to release a sex video made without her consent. After the incident, she began to be harassed on social media. In that same year, 2018, she attempted suicide but was found in time. However, in November 2019, she was able to take her own life at the young age of 28. Hara died six weeks after Sulli's death.
Oh In-hye
Oh In-hye (오인혜) was born on January 4, 1984, in the capital of South Korea. She was an actress and model, starting her career in 2011 with the film Sin of a Family. She made 8 films and 3 series. In 2019, she created a YouTube channel. In September 2020, she was found dead in her home at the age of 36.
Seo Min-woo
Seo Min-woo (서민우) was born on February 8, 1985, in the South Korean city of Daegu. He was an actor and singer, his career began in 2006. He gained recognition by ing the band called 100% under TOP Media. In 2014, Seo Min-woo left the band due to the mandatory military service of 1 year and 8 months. In March 2018, he ed away.
Possible causes
The causes that lead to suicide are numerous! In an interview with Suki Desu, the clinical psychologist, Magda Custódia talks about the type of thinking of the person who already thinks about committing the act: "When a person has depression, which is the biggest cause of suicides, they usually say 'my life doesn't work'. worthless!" “What am I doing in this world?” or “nothing makes sense to me, so I'd rather die!”. So, these people are already having suicidal thoughts and often even plan how to do it.”
In the case of South Korea, their level of demand regarding the artist, exposure, sasaegs (obsessive fans) are just some of the factors that can contribute to many developing psychological problems.
In August 2021, one of the of the group TWICE, Jeongyeon withdrew from activities due to panic and anxiety disorder. The singer has already been away from October 2020 to January 2021 for the same reason. The same happened with Mina, her groupmate who in 2019 was left behind due to anxiety and insecurity problems.
Stepping away from the spotlight to take care of yourself is important, but the person must come back at the right time. “The person himself must analyze whether he will feel good going back to work, or if he will be safe. For anxiety at a high level brings feelings of fear, insecurity and often even panic or phobias. For these people to feel good and prepared to return to their activities, it is also necessary to be in psychological and psychiatric follow-up”, says the psychologist.
In South Korea, charging starts early in of studies, career and appearance. When the person is famous comes more commitments and responsibilities that must still be in accordance with what is imposed by the agency and the expectations of fans. Artists are criticized all the time, people believe that because they are known they have the right to say what they want about their lives, all this affects mental health in some way.
Suicide Bridge
The Mapo Bridge, popularly known as the Suicide Bridge, crosses the Han River in the capital of South Korea, Seoul, and is 2.2 km long. The bridge is codenamed the Suicide Bridge because it is a common place for attempts to take one's own life. Around 1,090 people are believed to have jumped from this bridge between the years 2003 to 2011.
At the end of 2012 the Samsung company had a creative idea to try to reduce the suicide rate. The estimate is that after the 85% campaign deaths decreased. The solution was to transform the bridge into a bridge of life! All over the bridge, illuminated signs, photos of happy people and phrases such as:
''Visit the people you miss''
''The best moments of life are yet to come''
''Isn't it nice to walk on a bridge?''
All the phrases and photos were chosen and prepared with the help of psychologists with the aim of making the person who thinks about committing suicide distract himself to the point of arriving safely on the other side. Next to the bridge there is also a statue of a man consoling another called “Just Once Again”. The phones on the bridge can also be used to call the mental health helpline.
It is important to always be aware that this does not happen to people close to you. Showing empathy and being observant can save a life! "Depression is not laziness, it's not freshness, it's not to get attention! It's a serious illness!, concludes Magda Custodia.
