Just a year ago, in October 2019, news came out that the South Korean singer and actress Sulli (real name Choi Jin-ri) had committed suicide. This was soon confirmed by her agency SM Entertainment, leaving fans around the world in a state of shock and disbelief.
Goo Hara, fellow K-star and friend of Sulli, had previously attempted suicide in May 2019. She was found soon after the attempt and taken to hospital where she recovered. After the news of Sulli’s death, she made a promise to continue to live for her friend. But on November 24 the same year, fans were shocked by the news that she had been found dead in her home.
In this article, we will examine the sad death of the two, as well as take a closer look at South Korea's high suicide rate.
The Story Of Goo Hara
Goo Hara was a former member of the popular girl group KARA, and later went on to have a solo career as a singer and actress.
In 2019, news came out that she had been assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. He also threatened to release a sex video with her, and shortly after she attempted suicide.
She was rescued just in time, and fans gave their warm support to her, wishing for her to return to her former strong and bright persona.
Although Goo Hara was rescued, many were concerned about her physical and mental state. After her close friend Sulli’s death, she was unable to attend the funeral due to work commitments abroad, something she apologized for in an emotional live video.
She went on to say that she would keep on living to keep Sulli’s memory alive.
The Story Of Sulli
KBS
In the afternoon of October 14, 2019, news broke that Sulli had died in her home, something that was soon confirmed by her agency.
Sulli was a former member of the girl group f(x), a group she decided to leave in 2015 after a statement from her agency that she was exhausted due to cyber bullying and false rumors on the Internet.
From Instagram Live
After leaving the group, Sulli was free to embark on solo project. But malicious comments and abuse against her on the Internet never ceased. Sulli had to respond to criticism against her choice to post no-bra pictures of herself, and few seemed to come to her defense
But even if she had been involved in these kinds of controversies, everyone was shocked by the sudden news of her suicide. Korea is still a largely conservative society, and perhaps it had become to suffocating for her to keep on living. We hope that she is in a better place now, and that she has finally found happiness.
The High Rate Of Suicide Among Young Koreans
The suicide rate in Korea is among the highest in the world. This has been attributed to heavy social and economic pressure, and some Koreans refer to their country in terms of “Hell Joseon” or “Hell Korea”.
For some, every day is a struggle, and they can't see a way out of it. With no one around to share and understand their situation, some decide to take the ultimate step and end their lives.
Of course, we are not to say what is right and what is wrong, but we hope that there will be changes to the better, so young Koreans can look at the future with more optimism.
Bullying, often online, is another reason for Korea’s high suicide rate. Many celebrities have to deal with a lot of online abuse, something which can take a heavy toll on confidence and mental health.
Cyber bullies in safety behind a screen are using false names to comment and spread false rumors. Many Korean online platforms are filled with malicious comments, and both celebrities and ordinary people can be the target of online abuse.
Sulli was not the first artist to be the target of this kind of bullying, and we can only hope that the online environment will change for the better.
The suicide rate in South Korea in 2018 rose by almost 10% compared to the previous year. For every 100,000 people, 26 chose to commit suicide. The increase was especially substantial among youth.
경향신문
For teenagers, suicide accounted for 22.1% of the death causes. In other words, more than a fifth who died did so by ending their own lives. It is a major social concern that young Koreans who have just begun their lives choose to take this drastic action.
Suicide Rate In Korea (per 100,000 people)
Among the developed countries in Asia, South Korea has the unfortunate rank of number 1 in suicide rate.
Suicide Rate In South Korea
조선일보
According to statistics, in 2018, suicide was ranked fifth for cause of death among South Koreans, with only cancer, heart disease, pneumonia and stroke ranking higher.
Breaking it down into age groups, suicide is the major cause of death for teenagers and people in their 20s and 30s. Furthermore, it is the second highest cause of death for people in their 40s and 50s.
Suicide rates being especially high among young people show just how big of a problem it is for South Korea as a society
South Korea ranks highest in suicide rate among the OECD countries. Suicide rates had slowly been declining since 2013, but they rose again in 2018.
This tell us something about the stress and pain many Koreans experience living in a highly competitive society. Recent years, several famous artists have committed suicide, bringing more attention to the issue.
Behind the beautiful surface and smile, we have learnt that many are hiding their inner pain, and more efforts to help people in need is required.
The Sad Reality Of Korean Showbiz
Jeo Mi-seon
Jonghyun from SHINee
Choi Jin-sil
Jeon Mi-seon, Jonghyun (SHINee), Choi Jin-sil, U;Nee, Jeong Da-bin, Jang Ja-yeon … the list of artists that chose to end their lives prematurely is long. Many of them had disclosed that they were struggling with depression, in some cases that they were taking medication.
Why did these successful artists feel depressed and miserable?
In addition to stress from work, malicious comments, reviews and false rumors online were other reasons for personal pain. They were trying to smile and put up a brave front, but it is now clear that they behind the façade, there was darkness too.
Anyone can face depression at some stage of their life. It is important that we care about each other. Encouragement and positive comments can make a difference, but most important is to let people around us know that we are there for them, that they are not alone.
The sometime toxic online environment has been highlighted as a major social issue. Perhaps we should all stop and ask ourselves before we post something negative online the next time: could what I write hurt another person? Freedom of speech is important, but so is the dignity of each person.
If you seek professional help or suffer from suicidal thoughts, please consult your local helpline at
Open Counselling.
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