Suicide in South Korea occurs at the highest suicide rate among the 30 OECD countries, having recently surpassed Japan

Suicide in Japan

Suicide in Japan has become a significant problem nationally. Factors in suicide include unemployment , depression, and social pressures. In 2007, the National Police Agency revised the categorization of motives for suicide into a division of 50 reasons with up to three reasons listed for each...

's rate. The toll of suicide deaths in South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 has doubled in the last decade.
A 2010 government report reveals that suicide is number one cause of death for those under 40 in South Korea.

Suicides of famous persons

Suicide in South Korea has gained attention as a national problem after the deaths of several well-known persons, including the former President

President of South Korea

The President of the Republic of Korea is, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, chief executive of the government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the head of state of the Republic of Korea...

 Roh Moo-hyun

Roh Moo-hyun

Roh Moo-hyun GOM GCB was the 16th President of South Korea .Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for student activists in South Korea. His electoral career later expanded to a focus on overcoming regionalism in South Korean politics, culminating in his...

, the millionaire Samsung

Samsung

The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...

 heiress Lee Yoon-hyung

Lee Yoon-hyung

Lee Yoon-hyung was a South Korean millionaire and daughter of billionaire former Samsung Group chief Lee Kun-hee...

, the Korean pop singers U;Nee

U;Nee

Heo Yoon , better known by her stage name U;Nee, was a South Korean singer and actress. Before dedicating her career to music, she used the stage name Lee Hye-Ryeon...

, Chae Dong Ha, professional footballers Yoon Ki-Won

Yoon Ki-Won

Yoon Ki-won was a South Korean football Goalkeeper, who played for Incheon United FC in the K-League. Yoon committed suicide in May 2011.-Club career:...

 and Chung Jong-kwan, supermodel Daul Kim

Daul Kim

Kim Daul was an international South Korean fashion model and blogger. She committed suicide at the age of 20.-Career:...

, and the actors Ahn Jae-hwan

Ahn Jae-hwan

Ahn Jae-hwan was a South Korean actor.His wife was comedienne Jung Sun-hee.Ahn was found dead in his car on September 8, but the exact time of his death has not been revealed. It is considered to be a case of suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. He was 36 years old.-External links:* at HanCinema...

, Jung Da Bin, Lee Eun-ju

Lee Eun-ju

Lee Eun-ju was a South Korean actress. She died by suicide at the age of 24.-Life and career:Born in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea, Lee moved to Seoul after graduating high school to study acting. She was first noticed in the mid-1990s as a model for school uniforms, and after a number of...

, Jang Ja-yeon, Choi Jin-shil, Kim Ji-hoo

Kim Ji-hoo

Kim Ji-hoo was an openly gay South Korean actor and model.-Career and coming out:Kim made his debut as a fashion model in 2007. Regarded as "one to watch", he later appeared as a guest on the MBC drama series Before and After Plastic Surgery, and on family sitcom The Unstoppable High Kick...

, Park Hye Sang, and Park Yong-ha

Park Yong-ha

Park Yong-ha was a Korean actor and singer. He committed suicide at the age of 32.-Career:At seventeen, Park was noted for his acting and musical skills, as well as his good looks which earned him popularity with fans. After his debut in MBC drama Theme Theater , Park appeared a range of TV dramas...

.

Former president Roh's suicide followed the suicide of a number of high-profile figures under corruption

Political corruption

Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...

 investigations in Korea in recent years, including the former secretary of Prime Minister

Prime Minister of South Korea

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea is appointed by the President with the National Assembly's approval. Unlike prime ministers in the parliamentary system, the Prime Minister of South Korea is not required to be a member of parliament....

 Kim Young-chul, former Busan

Busan

Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...

 mayor Ahn Sang-Young who committed suicide while in prison, Park Tae-young, former governor of Jeolla province, and Chung Mong-hun

Chung Mong-hun

Chung Mong-hun was the 5th son of Chung Ju-yung, the founder of the South Korean Hyundai conglomerate. After the death of his father, he took over part of his father's role and became the chairman of Hyundai Asan, the company in charge of various business ventures between North and South Korea...

, a former Hyundai

Hyundai

Hyundai ) is a global conglomerate company, part of the Korean chaebol, that was founded in South Korea by one of the most famous businessmen in Korean history: Chung Ju-yung...

 executive.

Roh himself had been sued by the widow of former Daewoo

Daewoo

Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...

 E&C head Nam Sang-Guk for allegedly making defamatory comments that drove her husband to throw himself off a bridge.

See also

• Salaryman
  Salaryman
  refers to someone whose income is salary based; particularly those working for corporations. Its frequent use by Japanese corporations, and its prevalence in Japanese manga and anime has gradually led to its acceptance in English-speaking countries as a noun for a Japanese white-collar...
  
  
• Suicide in India
  Suicide in India
  Suicide in India is slightly above world rate. Of the half million people reported to die of suicide worldwide every year, 20% are Indians, for 17.% of world population. In the last two decades, the suicide rate has increased from 7.9 to 10.3 per 100,000, with very high rates in some southern regions...
  
  
• Suicide in Japan
  Suicide in Japan
  Suicide in Japan has become a significant problem nationally. Factors in suicide include unemployment , depression, and social pressures. In 2007, the National Police Agency revised the categorization of motives for suicide into a division of 50 reasons with up to three reasons listed for each...
  
  
• Suicide in the People's Republic of China
  Suicide in the People's Republic of China
  Statistics on suicide in the People's Republic of China are somewhat controversial in that independent studies often produce estimates that are greatly at odds with official statistics provided by the country's government...
  
  
• Shame society
  Shame society
  In cultural anthropology, a shame society is the concept that, in a given society, the primary device for gaining control over children and maintaining social order is the inculcation of shame and the complementary threat of ostracism...
  
  
• List of countries by suicide rate
• List of OECD countries by suicide rate

External links

• Jessica Kim, FACTBOX - Chronology of South Korean celebrity suicides

• Chris Charles, Korean Celebs' Tragic Endings