A RECENT theft has brought the issue of Korean celebrity suicides back into the spotlight. The urn of popular actress Choi Jin Sil was stolen from her burial site at Yangpyeong Yangsur on Aug 4. Choi, 39, hanged herself last October after rumours emerged that she had caused the suicide of a fellow actor. A 41-year-old suspect was arrested last Tuesday in relation to the theft. But it's the question of celebrity suicides in Korea that continues to haunt - Choi is just one of eight celebrity suicides there in two years. Celebrity suicides aren't uncommon- Hong Kong's Leslie Cheung, 46, leapt from the 24th floor of a hotel in 2003, citing depression in his suicide note. Barbara Yung, a Chinese actress, also killed herself at age 26 in 1985. But South Korea has the highest suicide rate among the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development nations - around 22 deaths per 100,000. America's suicide rate, in contrast, is half of South Korea's. Ms Ha Bo Yi, 34 - a Korean who manages Singapore-based Korean singer, Lee An - said that the most crucial stress factor for Korean celebrities is the 'expectation of perfection' from fans. "The Korean public does not like to see their celebrities doing 'normal' things an ordinary person does. Celebrities have to maintain a public front at all times," said Ms Ha. She added that because of this, Korean celebrities "cannot accept it when they make even the smallest mistakes." Ms Brenda Chan, assistant professor in Nanyang Technological University's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSC), puts it down to South Korea's traditional culture. Ms Chan, who works in the division of communication research, said: "When celebrities face scandals and are subject to malicious criticism, they may feel extremely guilty about bringing dishonour to their families.This might drive some to suicide." But, noted Time magazine last year in a story on Choi, perhaps the biggest problem South Korea faces on this issue is that mental illnesses -even a common disorder like depression- is rarely talked about. "Koreans are very secretive about psychiatric problems," Dr LeeMyung Soo, a psychiatrist at the Seoul Metropolitan Mental Health Centre, told Time. One of the main reasons that people won't talk about it is the fear of losing one's job, he said. Assistant professor Bradley Freeman, from the division of broadcast and cinema studies at WKWSC, said: "Given the societal context in which added pressures exist (for celebrities), it can lead to the outcomes we have seen." CHOI JIN SIL, 39 DIED: Oct 2, 2008 WHO: Nicknamed "The Nation's Actress" and "Korea's sweetheart", she was known as the Julia Roberts of South Korea. THE DEAL: Choi was depressed after her widely publicised divorce from professional baseball player, Jo Seong Min, in 2004. She had also faced public criticism over being a single mother to her kids: a girl, aged five, and a boy, seven. But negative online rumours also surfaced after the suicide of her friend, actor Ahn Jae Hwan, who was found dead last September. It was speculated that she had pressured him about a large loan, which could have been a contributing factor in his death. On Oct 2, Choi's mother said she returned home drunk. She locked herself in her bathroom and hanged herself there. The night before she died, Choi sent text messages to her assistant, saying "sorry" and "take care of my children no matter what happens". WOO SEUNG YEON, 25 DIED: April 27, 2009 WHO: A rookie actress who was seen in the Korean film Private Eye, released this year. THE DEAL: Woo, who had sought treatment for depression at a hospital, hanged herself in a closet at home. She allegedly left a suicide note that read: "I love my family. I'm so sorry to leave early." Her family members and friends reportedly told police investigators that Woo was under severe stress after failing to ace auditions for new roles. She had also recently broken up with her long-time boyfriend. KIM JI HOO, 23 DIED: Oct 7, 2008 WHO: A model and actor who admitted he was gay on Korean reality show Coming Out in April last year. THE DEAL: Shortly after the show, Kim faced public prejudice and his personal website was filled with hate messages. Several fashion shows and television programmes cancelled his appearances, and his management company did not renew his contract. Days before he hanged himself in his room, Kim wrote on his website: "Life is like the wind." In another post, he wrote: "Meetings are happy, partings are sad, everything is just a moment." LEE SEO HYUN, 30 DIED: Dec 1, 2008 WHO: The lead singer of five-member vocal pop-group M.Street. THE DEAL: Apparently, Lee had lost thousands of dollars in failed stock investments and also borrowed large sums of money. He felt great pressure as the leader of a band that was about to release a new album. In addition, he was attacked by netizens after he came out of the closet on cable TV. He hanged himself in a recording studio and left a note apologising to his parents and fellow church-mates for causing them hurt and pain. JANG JA YUN, 28 DIED: March 7, 2009 WHO: A model and actress who played a mean girl in the popular series Boys Before Flowers. THE DEAL: Jang hanged herself from a railing in her home. While it was initially thought that depression had led to her suicide, the case took a controversial twist when handwritten documents addressed to her manager, Mr Yoo Jang Ho, were released. She wrote that her former manager, Mr Kim Sung Hoon, verbally abused and beat her, and forced her to have sex with prominent figures in the entertainment industry. Police are still investigating the case. LEE CHANG YONG, 38 DIED: March 12, 2009 WHO: A veteran singer who made his debut in 1992 after winning the top prize in a singing competition. He was also a businessman. THE DEAL: Allegedly, Lee had incurred a mountain of debt after his business failed. He hanged himself and was found dead at his apartment by his girlfriend. A suicide note was found at the scene. A police officer told The Korea Times that the note showed that "Lee suffered from snowballing debts". Source: Asia One
