EPAActress Kim Sae-ron‘s demise in an obvious suicide has renewed criticism of South Korea’s leisure trade, which churns out stars but additionally topics them to immense strain and scrutiny.
Kim – who was discovered lifeless aged 24 at her house in Seoul on Sunday – had been bombarded with detrimental press protection and hate on-line after a drink-driving conviction in 2022. Police haven’t offered additional particulars about her demise.
Specialists discovered the circumstances resulting in it depressingly acquainted. Different celebrities additionally ended up taking their lives after careers upended by cyberbullying.
As Kim was laid to relaxation on Wednesday, analysts say they don’t seem to be optimistic her demise will result in significant change.
South Korea’s leisure trade is having fun with huge reputation. Immediately, there are greater than an estimated 220 million followers of Korean leisure all over the world – that is 4 instances the inhabitants of South Korea.
However there’s additionally rising highlight on the much less glamorous facet of the leisure trade.
South Korea is thought for its hyper-competitive tradition in most spheres of life – from schooling to careers. It has one of many highest suicide charges amongst developed nations. Whereas its general suicide fee 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 good, 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 may be profession ending. Kim Sae-ron turned so unpopular, scenes that includes her had been edited out of exhibits resembling Netflix’s 2023 drama Bloodhounds.
“It’s not sufficient that the celebrities be punished by the legislation. They change into targets of relentless criticism,” Korean tradition critic Kim Hern-sik informed the BBC.
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 legislation.
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, Kim Hern-sik informed the BBC.
“YouTubers get the views, boards get the engagement, information retailers get the visitors. I do not suppose [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 demise, claiming the controversial movies they printed prompted 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 stated 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 demise for an enormous money prize.
“Our society abandons those that stumble and strikes on as if nothing occurred.. What number of extra lives should be misplaced earlier than we cease inflicting this harmful, suffocating disgrace on folks?” he wrote on Fb.
“Drunk driving is a giant mistake. There could be an issue with our authorized system if that goes unpunished. Nevertheless, a society that buries individuals who make errors with out giving them a second likelihood shouldn’t be a wholesome one,” Prof Na added.
Final 12 months, the BBC reported on how “tremendous followers” within the infamous Ok-pop trade attempt to dictate their idols’ personal lives – from their romantic relationships to their day by day actions outdoors of labor – and may 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 value 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 powerful” for artistes to get well 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 generally even “add a rockstar-like edge” to celebrities’ reputations.
“Whereas nobody cheers when a Hollywood movie star is arrested for DUI [drinking under the influence of alcohol or drugs] or despatched to jail for vital crimes, it isn’t essentially career-ending,” he says.
Whereas the Korean leisure trade has made strikes to deal with performers’ psychological wealth considerations, it’s unclear how efficient these have been.
Actual change can solely occur when there isn’t a extra monetary or consideration incentives to proceed with such intrusive reporting, says Mr Benjamin.
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Extra reporting by Jake Kwon in Seoul