Gay model Kim Ji-hoo (pic) became the latest Korean entertainer to commit suicide.
Choi was found dead on October 6; he was the second entertainer who committed suicide following the death of actress Choi Jin-shil last week. Earlier on October 3, transsexual entertainer Jang Chae-won committed suicide ala Choi Jin-shil’s method.
Initial police investigations suggested that Kim committed suicide because of career block and online harassment of his sexual preference, while Jang chose the path because of a broken relationship.
I’ve read somewhere that there was at least another two copycat suicide since Choi’s death… and the Korean authorities are fearing that the suicide chain would create a domino effect in the Korean society, which is already fragile with their high suicide rate.
Stop blaming the internet
The Korean government is drafting a law against malicious rumours and slandering via the internet, as the online harassment is seen as one of the major causes of entertainers’ suicide.
I doubt the law could work though; and the effect would be minimal even if it works, because the problem is not the internet itself… it’s a cultural and society problem.
Internet is just a medium that pulled the final trigger; there are still other mediums for spreading rumours and slanders… what the Koreans need are to find the root cause and solve the problems once and for all.
