Jong-Hyun Kim and the Phenomena of Youth Suicide in Korea

Popularized Death

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Three days ago, Jong-hyun Kim was found dead in his apartment.

The name might not immediately evoke a face at first for most readers. Jong-hyun is one of the most well-known pop-stars in Korea, a 27-year-old powerhouse and one of the rare few to break off form the major pop group, in this case Shinee, and launch a successful solo career. He was the Justin Timberlake of NSYNC. The Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls. And at the very height of his career, on an enviable platform of absolute popularity, Jong-hyun Kim took his own life, leaving a world of support behind.

• Jong-hyun in the middle. Source: Soompi

I won’t talk that much about Jong-hyun specifically as a person. The event of course saddens me. I enjoyed a number of his songs when I was younger and I admired his eccentric attitude. I was blown away by the sudden tragedy. Korean celebrity suicides are by no means rare in a country with the highest suicide rate amongst developed countries, but they are often associated with personalities on the downturn of their profession. Jong-hyun was not in this situation - he was one of the most recognizable male faces of k-pop.

What I do want to take a moment to talk about is the effect his death will have on the country. Like I mentioned, celebrity suicide is not uncommon and the social consequences on the general public are well understood. In the past, when celebrities decided to take this drastic measure, suicide rates rose 100-200% in Korea, mostly amongst the young. Celebrity deaths have a resounding effect in a country that worships TV, music, and movie stars.

• Source: Mt. Holyoke

This phenomena, coupled with the fact that the leading cause of death for Koreans between ages 14-27 is suicide, puts younger citizens at enormous risk whenever a death like this is publicized. Children and teenagers already suffer atypically high levels of depression and dissatisfaction. These publicized suicides are often the last trigger needed to prompt a wave of irreversible decisions.

• Source:Datawrapper

• Students practice “dying” as therapy. Source: Daily Mail

You have to understand, for a young person in Korea, a celebrity’s life is the most enviable beyond any other possible profession. To be a celebrity means you are rich, beautiful, “free,” respected, desired, talked about, idolized, lusted after, and overall seen as the ideal that our society can produce. This intense obsession over celebrity-style living is what drives in the beauty care industry, the plastic surgery industry, and bolsters the most profitable fanboy/fangirl industry in the world.

So for a celebrity to take his/her life (and a celebrity as widely acclaimed as Jong-hyun no less) is an absolute shattering of that aspiration. It communicates that no matter how rich you are, how popular you are, how desired or respected you are, no matter how “successful” you are in the eyes of society, your life can still be so miserable and hopeless that opting out is an actual option.

The constructed obsession and mimicry of celebrity culture is something worth a whole different discussion. I want to write this in an attempt to raise awareness and hopefully dissuade any darker thoughts of other young members. For anyone part of a Korean community reading this, please speak about this openly with those close to you. It is very very unfortunate that Jong-hyun Kim chose to do what he did, but that part of his life should never be idolized.

That's all for today. Stay safe and healthy everyone.