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Suicide in South Korea (tag archive)

Archive of Korean suicide issues and celebrity suicide news. South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world and the highest among developed nations.

Kpop idol Sulli found dead, apparent suicide

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Korean pop idol Sulli, former member of girl group f(x), was found dead at her home on Monday. Authorities are investigating the cause of death, and it’s presumed that she took her own life.

Korean showbiz has always been troubled by suicide issues for the past couple of decades. People don’t see one coming for most of the time, but it’s not a surprise in Sulli’s case. There were hints from time to time but we couldn’t do much about it, and some people actually made it worse…

Sulli was a controversial figure and received many harsh comments online. A few of those might be fair criticism but most were just personal attacks, with some sexual harassment in the mix. It’s textbook cyber-bullying. It may not be the eventual cause but those comments won’t do any good.

Sad thing is most of the haters probably won’t regret a thing and will move on like nothing has happened. Or worse, they will find another target to harass instead. I don’t know if people are just ignorant, or are there so many psychopaths behind computers these days. It’s a scary world either way.

Hope Sulli would find peace at last. She was just 25, I almost forgot how young she was because she had been in the business for so long. Condolences to her family too.

Former SG Wannabe member suicide

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Former SG Wannabe member Chae Dong-haFormer SG Wannabe member Chae Dong-ha, 29, was found dead on Friday morning, presumed to have committed suicide according to early investigation.

The news came as another shock for the Koreans – just a few days after the suicide-death of a TV announcer.

SG Wannabe was one of Korea’s most popular pop groups before Chae decided to part way to pursue his solo career in 2008. The reformed SG Wannabe ain’t as popular as it used to be; and Chae’s solo plan was hardly a success unfortunately.

The exact reason for his suicide is still unknown. It’s revealed (by his agent) that he had a depression record when he was still in SG Wannabe. Regardless, RIP.

Korean actor Park Yong-ha commits suicide

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Korean actor-singer Park Yong-haKorean actor-singer Park Yong-ha was found dead at his home in Seoul early Wednesday morning in what appeared to be a suicide. He was 33.

No suicide note was found. His family and friends said that Park had been severely distressed by his father’s disease (terminally ill with stomach cancer), but the exact reason would probably remain a mystery forever.

Park rose to international fame in 2002 with K-drama Winter Sonata. He launched his singing career in Japan soon after and still enjoy reasonably popularity there. His acting career had its ups and downs; his last major success came in 2008 in drama On Air. He was still pretty much in demand though; thus his suicide news has shocked many fans in and out of Korea.

South Korea has the highest suicide rate among developed countries. Among the high profile casualties were actress Lee Eun-joo (2005), Choi Jin-shil (2008), her brother Choi Jin-young (2010), and former President Roh Moo-hyun (2009) etc.

Rest in peace Yong-ha.

Choi Jin-shil’s brother Choi Jin-young commits suicide

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Korean actor Choi Jin-youngKorean actor Choi Jin-young, 39, was found dead on March 29 in an apparent suicide. Her actress-sister, Choi Jin-shil, also committed suicide in October 2008.

I’m feeling terribly sorry for the mother who lost two kids to the tragic cause in such short span, and I’m also sad for the two children of Choi Jin-shil who were taken care of by their uncle after their mother’s death.

It’s revealed that Choi Jin-young had been battling depression and sunk into a prolonged spell following his sister’s death [via Dramabeans].

While strongly against suicide, I’m understanding a bit more about depression these days, and it’s something that need to be dealt with seriously. The Korean society need to be more alert on the issue, take active steps to help those who are depressed, and fight against the high suicide rates.

Rest in peace Choi Jin-young. Condolences to his family and friends.

Former S. Korean President dies in suspected suicide

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Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyunFormer South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun died after falling from a mountainside on Saturday morning.

Roh left a suicide note on his computer that he was going through hard times, apparently referring to the recent bribery probe surrounding him and his family, more on YonhapNews.

Roh, 62, was South Korea’s President in 2003-2008. He moved to Bongha Village, near his birthplace, after leaving the office in March 2008.

Reports have suggested that investigation on Roh and his family is likely to be ended following his death; and it might be what Roh was hoping for.

His death still sounds fishy though… leaving a suicide note on PC instead of a hand written one? And amusingly discovered by his aides in hours? Who would bother to check his PC shortly after his death? It’s just a bit too convenient imo.

Another Korean celebrity suicide

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Young actress Woo Seung-yeon was found dead on April 27th in an apparent suicide; she was just 24 (or 26 according to different sources).

Korean actress Woo Seung-yeon suicide

Woo’s family revealed that she was suffering from serious depression because of both work and relationship issues, and was receiving treatment at a hospital.

Wonder when this suicide trend is going to end; as mentioned by Javabeans, “it’s a sad day when news like this is no longer shocking…” couldn’t say it any better.

Rest in peace.