onOn Friday, Korean columnist Yang Sung Hee I asked Questions that no one seems to have an answer: “When will this end? How many more lives should we lose before this tragic cycle breaks?”
Yang's question asked in the Korean Hoangang Daily newspaper was found to be found dead at her home on Sunday in a case that police have treated as suicide. It's just one of many that has emerged since. She was 24 years old.
Kim took off in May 2022 as a child actor who took on her role from the hit crime thriller The Man in 2010, after she crashed the car into a tree and an electric transformer in Seoul was charged with drunk driving.
Kim posted a handwritten apology on Instagram and paid a fine of 200m won ($139,000). She reportedly compensated dozens of shops that were temporarily left without power after the accident.
The gesture may have soothed business owners, but it has failed to stop the avalanche of criticism, both online and in the media.
Now, her death has sparked concerns about the pressure placed on the talented young artist who transformed Korea into a cultural superpower. Endless rehearsals and all restrictions from dating and socializing to calorie intake and online activities.
The YouTube celebrity gossip channel has posted negative videos about her personal life. Those pointing to social media posts show their relationship with friends as evidence that she hasn't shown enough regret. Kim's career fell into a free fall. Most of her scenes in the 2023 Netflix series Bloodhounds were edited and she was forced to withdraw from the TV drama Trolley.
Kim tried to rebuild her life by working in a coffee shop. She sparked accusations of exaggerating her financial problems.
Kim joins a long list of Korean celebrities who committed suicide under intense public scrutiny, reigniting debate about the extent to which celebrities can enjoy privacy away from the media spotlight and the impact it will have on their mental health I'll let you do it.
Other victims include Lee Sun-Kyun, a parasite actor who died in suicide in 2023, and Choi Jin-Sil, a movie star who died in 2008, five years later, her former baseball star husband. A Cho Sung-Min followed. K-Pop artists Sulli and Goo Hara passed away in 2019. Kim Jong Hyun's death in 2017 was the lead singer of the extremely popular and influential boy band Shine, and shocked the world of entertainment.
“Pressure always seems impeccable”
Korean celebrities, especially women, find it difficult to secure jobs after encountering the law. Many people are reluctant to seek treatment for mental health issues when it causes even more negative coverage.
“Korean society has become like a huge squid game,” said Peter Jong-ho Na, assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University, referring to the dystopian Netflix drama. “People who make mistakes or delay are mercilessly eliminated without giving them the opportunity to recover, as if nothing happened. Celebrities are under great pressure to always look impeccable. ”.
Jeon Sang-Jin, a professor of sociology at Saugan University, singles unique dynamics in Korean fan culture. “Sports stars and celebrities are essentially people who can attack freely without facing pushback,” he said. “There's a contrast. Strong businesses and politicians can retaliate legally or economically, but celebrities are vulnerable targets. People attack them mercilessly when they make small mistakes. .”
Kim's death prompted a soul quest among several sections of the media. Several newspapers have published editors who oppose online abuse directed at her and other entertainment figures.
The Democratic Media and Civic Coalition, a local media watchdog that monitors ethical reporting practices, placed most of the traditional media responsibility for “sensational and provocative” reporting.
“Most media have been at the forefront of promoting criticism of the deceased while she was still alive, encouraging gossip YouTube content and malicious comments,” the organization said in a statement, with many outlets. said he continues to misuse Kim for Crick after her death. .
This media environment creates incredible psychological tension, with little support. “when [Parasite’s] Lee Sun-Kyun is currently investigating for his drug use, and no facilities were observed such as “until a proven guilty,” the NA said.
“The media needs to understand that these people are just as vulnerable to shame as normal people. Or even more vulnerable given the high suicide rate among Korean celebrities. is.”
Nothing has come so far to curb celebrity online abuse after Sulli and Goo Hara's deaths. Proposals that expanded the original requirements of social media users and strengthened the website's ability to eliminate hate speech could not lead it to the law.
In response, some Korean institutions, including HYBE, which manages the K-POP phenomenon, have begun taking legal action to protect celebrities from cyberbullying. Heo Chanhaeng, executive director of the Center for Media Responsibility and Human Rights, hopes news organizations and websites will close the comment section on entertainment stories.
“For decades, South Korea has ignored this mental health crisis,” NA said, citing mental disorders and widespread stigma on their treatment.
Kim tried to save her career last year. She joined Guitar Man about the genius musicians who joined the underground band. It will be her last, posthumous film.
The agency contributed to the report.
