South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun was once a model of counterattacking from an ordinary citizen to an upper-class person. With his talent and hard work, he has created many deep-rooted characters in movies and TV series, winning the love and respect of the audience. His career and family seem to be smooth sailing, which is enviable.
However, at the peak of his career, he fell into the whirlpool of scandal because of suspected drug use, and was condemned and abandoned by **. In the end, he chose to commit suicide on December 27, 2023, ending his life.
This incident has triggered a reflection on Korean society, why would a person who has everything choose to give up his life?Is "decency" really that important to Koreans?
Involution and competitive pressures in Korean society
South Korea is a highly developed capitalist country with strong economic power and international standing. However, this rapid development has also brought some negative effects, such as social involution and competitive pressure.
Involution refers to the fact that individuals in society continue to increase their investment under the pressure of competition, but they are unable to achieve the improvement of the overall living standard. This phenomenon is particularly acute in South Korea and has permeated all spheres of society. In the field of education, Korean students study all night in order to get admitted to prestigious universities.
In order to make their children stand out from the competition, parents do not hesitate to spend a lot of money to enroll their children in various cram schools. This kind of "chicken-blood education" not only makes students lose their childhood and physical and mental health, but also puts huge financial pressure on parents.
In the economic sphere, a "culture of overtime" is prevalent in South Korean companies, where employees often have to work late into the night and even on weekends. This intensity of work not only exhausts employees, but also leads to tension and even breakdown of family relationships. In the field of culture, South Korea's entertainment industry and film and television industry have also been affected by involution.
In order to compete for more acting opportunities and higher salaries, the actors continue to take on various productions, ignoring their physical and mental health. At the same time, they also have to face harsh evaluation and ruthlessness from the audience and **, and once there is any mistake or scandal, they will be ruthlessly smeared and abandoned. The involution and competitive pressures in these fields have left Koreans living in a state of fear and anxiety, losing their sense of self and happiness.
Hierarchy and comparison psychology in Korean society
South Korea is a country with a traditional Confucian culture with a deeply entrenched social hierarchy. When Koreans socialize, they often have to consider factors such as the other person's age, gender, position, education, wealth, etc., to determine their words and deeds and etiquette. This hierarchy puts Koreans in an unequal position in society, with some enjoying privilege and respect, while others suffering discrimination and oppression.
At the same time, Koreans also have a strong comparison mentality, they always want to surpass or catch up with their peers or colleagues, and have better education, jobs, incomes, housing, vehicles, etc. This kind of comparison mentality makes Koreans ignore their own hearts and emotions in the pursuit of material things, and also lose respect and understanding for themselves and others. This kind of hierarchy and comparison psychology makes Koreans in a state of unconfidence and dissatisfaction in society, and loses their sense of self-esteem and self-love.
Decency and suicide in Korean society
Koreans have a strong sense of decency, and they care very much about their image and status in society, as well as what others think and say about them. They believe that only by having a decent life can they be recognized and respected by society, and can they reflect their own value and meaning.
However, this sense of decency has also put South Koreans under great pressure and suffering. When they fail to meet their own or society's expectations, they feel ashamed and hopeless, believing that they have no dignity and no reason to live.
This has led to a serious problem in Korean society, which is suicide. South Korea's suicide rate is consistently high, one of the highest in the world. According to Statistics Korea, in 2022, the number of suicides in South Korea was 1360,000 people, with a suicide rate of 264 people 100,000 people, more than double the world average.
Many of the suicides in South Korea are due to financial hardship, educational failures, career setbacks, family conflicts, health problems, entertainment scandals, etc., and they feel that they have lost their dignity and hope, and choose to end their lives. This phenomenon of suicide reflects the sad reality of Korean society, that is, in the pursuit of decency, Koreans have lost the meaning and value of life.
Conclusion
The suicide of South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun has triggered our thinking about Korean society. The involution, hierarchy, comparison psychology, and decency of Korean society are all important reasons for the excessive stress of Korean life, the impaired mental health, and the high suicide rate.
These problems are not unique to Korean society, but also a challenge faced by many modern societies. In such a social environment, how should we view our own lives and values?Should we sacrifice our happiness and health for the sake of decency?Lee Sun-gyun committed suicide