Death Of South Korean Movie Star Triggers Introspection On Suicide Trend
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyung, best known for his role in the movie "Parasite" but recently accused of drug trafficking, died by suicide on Wednesday.
In a country where high-profile suicides have made international headlines in recent years, the death of Mr. Lee, 48, immediately attracted national media attention.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that police found Mr Lee dead in his car in a mountainous park in Seoul. A bracket for a coal stove was found in a car, a device commonly used to commit suicide during Shmol gas poisoning in Korea.
Local media reported that police had questioned Mr Li about his drug use over the Christmas weekend. Mr. Lee took a lie detector test during the investigation and tested negative for drugs.
According to reports, Mr. Lee was tricked into taking drugs by a bartender in Seoul's Gangnam neighborhood and then blackmailed.
Mr. Lee Hye rose to fame in 2007 when he starred in the South Korean TV series Behind the White Tower. In 2019, he gained worldwide fame as the patriarch of a wealthy family in the dark comedy Parasite.
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The South Korean film's take on middle-class anxiety reflects global growth ahead of Covid-19. It became the first foreign language film to win the 2020 Hollywood Academy Award for Best Picture.
The details of Mr Lee's case raise questions for family, friends and authorities. The tragic suicide in South Korea, which is considered one of the richest countries in the world, shocked the whole society.
Suicide in South Korea
South Korea has the highest murder rate per capita in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a group of 37 market economy democracies.
South Korea's suicide rate is 24.1 per 100,000 people, higher than the OECD average of 9.7 per 100,000 people. The elderly are at risk, but high-profile suicides make headlines. South Korea observers blame several factors.
Over the past half century, South Korea has developed a prosperous middle class and a full-fledged democracy. National characteristics, aspirations and values overlap significantly with the characteristics of the West.
Collective rather than individualistic cultures, South Korean social culture is characterized by peer pressure. Some commentators believe that suicide is a way to avoid shame or to deny accusations of bad behavior.
Artists who are supposed to be sensitive are especially at risk. Famous actress Choi Jin-sil was among those who died in this region in 2011.
Under the skin
Foreign observers often say that conformity is ingrained in South Korean society.
"The term public opinion in Korea is 'in the eyes of others,'" says David Tizzard, who teaches Korean studies at Seoul Women's University. “When you recycle, you're monitored, so you're doing it right. When you go out, you dress the way you are seen.
Mr Tizzard tells the foreign students that they are not the only ones who complain about being seen in public; "That's how it is here."
Celebrities have a special status.
Take the BTS. One of the reasons for the boy band's worldwide success is the vanilla image of well-mannered men, in stark contrast to the "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" that many Westerners follow.
"The expectations of being famous in Korea are very different from those in the West," says Michael Breen of Seoul-based The New Koreas.
"We admire people who behave badly and have their lives ruined, and then there's a story of redemption," Breen said. But in Korea, bad behavior is not appreciated.
His attitude towards drugs is unforgivable. In Western healthcare systems, addiction is often considered a health or mental health problem. He is a criminal in Korea.
This puts enormous pressure on the justice system, as authorities have greater leeway to extract confessions. In countries where recreational drug abuse is a crime, authorities have the power to enforce sentences.
Impeachment reform has long been a hot potato in South Korea. Many believe the system favors investigators over defendants.
Mr Lee reportedly spent 19 hours under police investigation.
"A lot of people kill themselves when they focus on the justice system," Breen said.
A combination of public shame and judicial power is the reason for some high-profile suicides.
These are Roh Muhyun, whose family was investigated for corruption in 2009, and the suicide of Seoul Mayor Park Won-sen, who was accused of sexual assault in 2020.
"In Korea, suicide is sometimes used as a sign of protest or purification," Tizzard said. "He will clear his name."
