"Sulli, Goo Hara, Jonghyun" Foreign Media Reexamines K-Pop's Dark Side Following Moonbin's Death

NYT, BBC Highlight South Korea's High Suicide Rate
"K-pop System: Intense Control and Competition"

Amid the sudden tragic news of Moonbin (25), a member of the group ASTRO, foreign media are revisiting similar past cases involving K-pop idol stars.

On the 20th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported, "Moonbin's death is another recent case following the sudden passing of numerous famous Korean individuals in their 20s," mentioning previously deceased idol stars such as f(x)'s Sulli and KARA's Goo Hara.

Late Moonbin

The NYT stated about their deaths, "While not all cases are like this, some have been confirmed as suicides," adding, "Their deaths have prompted self-reflection on where one of Korea's most popular cultural export industries has gone wrong."

On the same day, the UK’s The Guardian also reported, "Many young K-pop stars have passed away in recent years," citing Sulli, Goo Hara, SHINee's Jonghyun, and 100%'s Minwoo. Regarding Sulli, it explained, "She suffered from prolonged online bullying during her lifetime, and her death sparked serious calls in Korea for stronger punishments against online crimes and malicious comments."

The Guardian raised concerns about the Korean K-pop industry's idol training system, stating, "K-pop stars are selected by agencies in their mid-teens or younger, live under strict control, and spend most of their time undergoing harsh training."

The UK’s BBC also highlighted the series of tragic news involving K-pop stars, along with cases of struggling rookie actors. It mentioned the sudden passing earlier this month of model-turned-actress Jung Chaeyul (26) and the heartbreaking case of actress Yoo Joo-eun (27), who left a note saying, "I really wanted to act, but living that life was not easy," before her death last August.

Meanwhile, Moonbin was found dead at his home on the afternoon of the 19th. Police believe he took his own life. The funeral is being held at Seoul Asan Medical Center’s funeral hall, with the burial scheduled for the 22nd.

"Series of K-pop Tragedies Linked to Korea’s High Suicide Rate"

Foreign media particularly point out that these tragic news are not unrelated to Korea’s high suicide rate. The Guardian reported, "Korea is one of the countries with the highest suicide rates in the world, and suicide ranks high among causes of death for those under 40."

The BBC also stated, "Among developed countries, Korea has the highest suicide rate among young people. Although the overall suicide rate is declining, the suicide rate among people in their 20s is increasing," adding, "Korea’s ‘hyper-competitive society’ has long struggled with high suicide rates, and the government is working to reduce suicides."

Korea ranks first in suicide rates among OECD member countries. According to the '2021 Cause of Death Statistics' released by Statistics Korea last year, Korea recorded an age-standardized suicide rate (number of deaths by suicide per 100,000 people based on the OECD standard population) of 23.6, more than double the OECD average of 11.1. By age group, suicide was the leading cause of death from teenagers through their 30s.

However, as these consecutive cases of suicide have emerged, experts have expressed concerns about the 'Werther effect.' The Werther effect refers to the phenomenon where the general public attempts 'imitative suicides' after a famous person admired by the public takes their own life.

※ If you or someone close to you is struggling with difficult issues such as depression, please contact the suicide prevention hotline ☎1393, mental health counseling hotline ☎1577-0199, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, youth hotline ☎1388, or the youth mobile counseling app 'Da Deureojul Gae.' Expert counseling is available 24/7 via KakaoTalk and other platforms.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.