Abob Teff

Public shaming is a huge part of our culture as well. We just have it backwards where you do stupid shit to publicly humiliate yourself in order to become a "celebrity."


RIP Lee Sun-Kyun. Thank you for sharing your art with us.

cultshock

Very true, same with Japan. God forbid you smoke a joint, you could actually do time for that, but it's ok to stumble home blind drunk every night after going out for drinks post-work, and no one on the subway even bats an eye. I've seen it often.

RocShemp

I've been meaning to revisit this flick recently, this tragic news makes me not sure I'll enjoy my intended rewatch at this particular time.

So sad for him, his wife, and their two kids.

Brian T

Korean culture is in general is pretty intense (speaking from close association), very ‘110% or nothing’, not unlike the other big Asian cultures (China, Japan), but really moreso. And their suicide rate seems to follow in step, with the country consistently having the highest rate among all OCED countries. Hollywood certainlyhas its share of suicides and suspicious deaths, but I think the Korean industry really takes the cake in terms of how ‘big’ the victims often are (Lee’s death was something like the fifth or sixth one this year alone), how high the cultural and industry expectations are, and how punishing the condemnation is for any little slip-up. And in the arts, it’s rarely supporting actors or back-up musicians cracking under the pressure, but top names.

I’ve also read that Korea has a pretty week system of support for anyone with mental health issues.

As with previous K-celeb suicides, Lee’s has prompted new (but hardly the first) articles exploring the ‘death cult’ phenomenon, noting previous big-name endings and (rightly, I think) questioning the high-pressure nature of the culture and its entertainment industries:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-pop-star.html

Here’s a similarly interesting piece from 2020 (particularly the veritable chain reaction recounted in the first few paragraphs):
https://amp.theguardian.com/music/20...-never-changes

kahuna

My favorite actress of all time was Choi Jin-Sil. She took her life at the age of 39. She was known as the “nation’s actress” in South Korea. Hope i didn't hijack this thread.
The Tragic Life And Death Choi Jin Sil, The “Nation′s Actress” Of South Korea.
https://www.koreaboo.com/stories/tra...s-south-korea/