(EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on Oct. 3)

Yet another suicide

Popular actress Choi Jin-sil was found dead at her home Thursday morning, an apparent suicide, according to the police.

While suicides involving celebrities are shocking, this one was even more so
because it came less than a month after actor Ahn Jae-hwan killed himself. In the
days following Ahn's death, the internet rumor mill was in full operation,
churning out tales of Choi's alleged involvement with loan sharks. The gist of
the various accounts was that Choi was among those loan sharks who had lent money
to Ahn and that Ahn was driven to suicide by the mounting debt and loan sharks'
threats. It so happens that Choi is a good friend of Ahn's wife. If the rumors
were to be believed, Choi was a vile person who drove her friend's husband to his
death.
The police, on Sept. 29, nabbed a woman suspected of having posted the story on
the internet and are investigating the case. Choi was reported to have said she
would take the case to court.
The day before her death, Choi shot a television commercial and had dinner with
the head of her agency. While she seemed exhausted and expressed frustration with
the rumors surrounding her, her agent says he had no idea that Choi would take
her own life.
Choi's death comes as a surprise because she had beaten many other odds in her
storied life. Throughout her career, she suffered from malicious gossips. Choi's
manager was killed at the height of her career, an incident that incited numerous
rumors. Her marriage to a baseball star broke down after she was physically
abused by him. She took custody of their two children and was once again enjoying
a popular following as her recent dramas became hits.
No one could have guessed that underneath the cheerful veneer lay a person
suffering from depression. According to Choi's acquaintances, the actress sought
medical help for depression after her divorce. The recent internet rumors must
have added to her despair.
The string of celebrity suicides highlights a troubling social phenomenon in
Korea. Last year, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death in the country,
about 25 people out of 100,000 took their own lives.
Also disturbing is the fact that people in their 20s and 30s account for the
largest number of suicides. People who are in the prime of their lives, who
should be leading productive lives and who should look forward to the future are
choosing to end their lives.
Society should work together to prevent this social ill from claiming more lives.
More suicide hotlines should be available and the public should also be educated
to look out for signs of suicidal tendencies.
The media could also play a role by the way it reports on suicides. Giving
detailed information on how the suicide was committed carries the danger of
others copying the act. This was the case with the death of Ahn when, on the days
following his death, several people took their lives using the method that Ahn
had used to kill himself.