EPAActress Kim Sae-ron‘s loss of life in an obvious suicide has renewed criticism of South Korea’s leisure business, which churns out stars but in addition topics them to immense strain and scrutiny.
Kim, 24, had been bombarded with destructive press protection and hate on-line after a drink-driving conviction in 2022. She turned so unpopular, scenes that includes her have been edited out of exhibits.
The circumstances resulting in her loss of life are depressingly acquainted, consultants say. Another celebrities who had their careers upended by cyberbullying additionally ended up taking their very own lives.
As Kim was laid to relaxation on Wednesday, analysts say they aren’t optimistic her loss of life will result in any significant change.
South Korea’s leisure business is having fun with large reputation.
At present, there are greater than an estimated 220 million followers of Korean leisure world wide – that is 4 occasions the inhabitants of South Korea.
However there may be additionally growing highlight on the much less glamorous facet of the leisure business.
South Korea is thought for its hyper-competitive tradition in most spheres of life – from schooling to profession. It has one of many highest suicide charges amongst developed international locations. Whereas its total suicide price is falling, deaths of these of their 20s are rising.
This strain is heightened within the case of celebrities. They face immense strain to be excellent, and are subjected to the calls for of obsessive “tremendous followers” who could make or break careers.
That’s the reason even the slightest perceived misstep might be profession ending.
“It isn’t sufficient that the celebrities be punished by the regulation. They change into targets of relentless criticism,” Korean tradition critic Kim Hern-sik advised the NUZTO.
He referred to Ok-pop artists Sulli and Goo Hara, who died by suicide in 2019 after lengthy battles with web trolls, although they didn’t have identified brushes with the regulation.
Sulli had offended followers for not conforming to the Ok-pop mould, whereas an web mob had focused Goo Hara over her relationship with an ex-boyfriend.
‘An actual life Squid Sport’
Cyberbullying has additionally change into a money-making gig for some, Korean tradition critic Kim Hern-sik advised the NUZTO.
“YouTubers get the views, boards get the engagement, information retailers get the visitors. I do not assume [Kim’s death] will change the scenario.
“There must be harsher legal punishment in opposition to leaving nasty feedback,” he says.
Kim Sae-ron’s father has blamed a YouTuber for her loss of life, claiming the controversial movies they revealed brought on her deep emotional misery.
Others have pointed fingers at some native media retailers, who reportedly fuelled public animosity in opposition to Kim by reporting the unverified claims.
“This cycle of media-driven character assassination should cease,” civic group Residents’ Coalition for Democratic Media mentioned in a press release on Tuesday.
Na Jong-ho, a psychiatry professor at Yale College, likened the spate of movie star deaths in South Korea to a real-life model of Squid Sport, the South Korean Netflix blockbuster which sees the indebted preventing to the loss of life for an enormous money prize.
“Our society abandons those that stumble and strikes on as if nothing occurred.. What number of extra lives have to be misplaced earlier than we cease inflicting this harmful, suffocating disgrace on individuals?” he wrote on Fb.
“Drunk driving is an enormous mistake. There could be an issue with our authorized system if that goes unpunished. Nonetheless, a society that buries individuals who make errors with out giving them a second likelihood is just not a wholesome one,” Prof Na added.
Final 12 months, the NUZTO reported on how “tremendous followers” within the infamous Ok-pop business attempt to dictate their idols’ non-public lives – from their romantic relationships to their each day actions exterior of labor – and might be unforgiving when issues go off script.
It’s no shock that Kim Sae-ron selected to withdraw from the general public eye after her DUI conviction, for which she was fined 20 million gained (£11,000) in April 2023.
It’s price noting nevertheless, that not all public figures are topic to the identical remedy. Politicians, together with opposition chief Lee Jae-myung, even have previous drink-driving convictions however have been in a position to bounce again – polls present Lee is now the nation’s high presidential contender.
In South Korea, it’s “extraordinarily robust” for artistes to recuperate after they do one thing that places a crack of their “idol” picture, says Ok-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin.
He contrasts this to leisure industries within the West, the place controversies and scandals typically even “add a rockstar-like edge” to celebrities’ reputations.
“Whereas nobody cheers when a Hollywood movie star is arrested for DUI (ingesting drunk or medication) or despatched to jail for important crimes, it isn’t essentially career-ending,” he says.
Whereas the Korean leisure business has made strikes to deal with artistes’ psychological wealth issues, it’s unclear how efficient these have been.
Actual change can solely occur when there isn’t any extra monetary or consideration incentives to proceed with such intrusive reporting, says Mr Benjamin.
When you have been affected by any of the problems on this story you’ll find data and assist on the NUZTO Actionline web site right here.
Further reporting by Jake Kwon in Seoul
