Did you know that South Korea has the highest suicide rate amongst the 38 members of the OECD, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. South Korea, in 2021, recorded a suicide rate of 26 per 1,00,000 people. The age most commonly ranges from 10 to 39. According to an article posted in the Korea Biomedical Review, about 44% of teenage deaths were due to suicide, among them 41% of them were in their 30s and 57% were in their 20s. Over the recent few years, we have seen the industry losing many celebrities for various reasons. The Top 10 most High profile suicide of Korean stars.
1. Lee Eun Joo
Lee Eun Jo, at the age of just 24, committed suicide. She started her career in acting in 1997 and has starred in some hit films like The Scarlet Letter and Taegukgi. Lee Eun Joo was a rising star during that time, and many weren’t aware that she was battling with depression. She was found dead in her apartment in February 2005 by hanging herself and slitting her wrists. Her family said that after her nudity scene in The Scarlet Letter, she had a mental illness.
2. Jeong Da Bin
Jeong Da Bin was a dancer and actress who since 2000 has been active in the entertainment industry. Jeong’s notable works are Cats on the Roof and That Summer’s Typhoon. In February 2007, She was found hanging with a bath towel in her boyfriend's house in Gangnam district. Her boyfriend said that he took her back to his house as she had gotten drunk after meeting with her friends, and the following day, he found her dead. He said she was depressed due to not having work and due to getting attacks on the internet.
3. Kim Daul
Kim Daul was a famous international model, blogger, and painter. She took her life in November 2009 by hanging herself in her apartment in Paris. She was just 20 at that time and was suffering from insomnia and depression due to having high demands in the fashion industry. She used to express herself through her weblog. In 2008, she posted about how she was miserable and lonely, however she retracted this statement that she was just joking.
4. Jang Ja Yeon
Jang Ja Yeon was a remarkable actress famous for her role in Boys Over Flowers, playing Sunny, an antagonist. She took her life in 2009 and was suffering depression, and her death had caused a national scandal. In 2018 her story was reopened when the media had circulated that during her career he was physically and sexually abused by 30 prominent entertainment executive, also including Kim Sung-Hoon her former talent agencies CEO.
5. Jeon Tae Soo
Jeon Tae Soo was best known for his role in Sungkyunkwan Scandal, playing the actor's younger brother. His sister is also a pretty famous actress. In 2007, he made his acting debut. In 2011, he was arrested for assaulting two police officers and a driver while he was under the influence of consuming alcohol. He had taken time off his career to get treatment for his depression, but at the age of 33, he took his life in January 2018.
6. Choi Jin-Ri
Choi Jin-Ri, also known as Sulli, was an actress and singer. In 2009, she debuted as a member of the group F(X). She had already been working as a guest and supporting on several TV shows. She was found dead at her house in Seoul in October 2019. Just a day before she was seen shooting for an ad and there was no hint that she was suffering from depression. It was however suspected that her death was due to cyberbullying.
7. Lee Hye Ryeon
Lee Hye Ryeon was born to an unwed mother and had a tough childhood. Since 1996, she has been active in the showbiz business as a singer, actress, model, rapper, and singer. She was just 25 when she took her life. She was found dead at her house in Incheon in January 2007 by hanging herself. Due to rumors and attacks from the public for her plastic surgery, she was suffering from depression.
8. Choi Jin Sil
Choi Jin Sil was known as The Nation’s Actress, as she was one of the best actresses playing lead in more than 18 films and 20 K-dramas. She has been active in the industry since 1988. She was found hanging at her house in Seoul in October 2008. She was suffering through stress due to rumors about her being involved in the suicide of Ahn Jae-Hwan, her fellow actor. There were no suicide note found, but she did send a message to her makeup assistant to take care of her children no matter what happens and that she is sorry.
9. Kim Jonghyun
Kim Jonghyn was a radio host, singer-songwriter and an author. He was a member of the boy group Shinee as their main vocalist for nine years. At just 27 years old, he took his life by consuming carbon monoxide poisoning. He was found in his rented apartment in Gangnam. Before his suicide, her elder sister suspected that he was planning to commit suicide, so she called for some help. He was found unconscious by rescue workers and police, and immediately got brought to Konkuk University Hospital, while he was suffering a cardiac arrest, but unfortunately he didn’t make it.
10. Jeon Mi Seon
Jeon Mi Seon was an actress best known for supporting roles in dramas such as Moon Embracing the Sun, Memories of Murder, and Hide and Seek. She also was the lead in Love is a Crazy Thing. She was found dead in a hotel in Jeonju in June 2019, dying at the age of 48. The police concluded that it was most likely a suicide.
