Kim Sa-Horn’s death exposes the culture of South Korea’s celebrity

Actress Kim Sa-RhodThe death of obvious suicide renewed criticism of the entertainment industry of South Korea, which throws stars, but also puts them on great pressure and control.

The 24-year-old Kim was bombarded with a negative reflection of the press and hatred online after a sentence to drive a drink in 2022. She became so unpopular, and her participation scenes were edited by shows.

The circumstances leading to her death are depressed, experts say. Some other celebrities who have given up their career of cyberbullying have also ultimately took their lives.

As Kim was laid to rest on Wednesday, analysts say they are not optimistic, that her death will lead to some meaningful change.

The entertainment industry in South Korea is enjoying great popularity.

Today, there are more than approximately 220 million fans of Korean entertainment around the world – it is four times larger than the population of South Korea.

But the spotlights of the less glamorous side of the entertainment industry are also increasing.

South Korea is known for its hyperconcure culture in most areas of life – from education to career. He has one of the highest suicide rates among developed countries. As its total suicide percentage decreases, the deaths of those of their 20s are increasing.

This pressure is enhanced in the case of celebrities. They are facing enormous pressure to be perfect and subjected to the demands of obsessive “super fans” who can make or break their careers.

Therefore, even the least misappropriate step can be the end of the career.

“It is not enough for the celebrities to be punished by the law. They are becoming a target of ruthless criticism,” Korean culture critic Kim Hern-Sik told the BBC.

He referred to the artists of K-POP Sulie and Gua Hara, who died from suicide in 2019 after long battles with internet trolls, although they did not know the brushes with the law.

Sully had offended fans for does not match the K-POP form, While an internet mafia had headed Goo hara over her relationship with ex -boyfriend.

Cyberbully has also become a concert to make money for some, Korean critic Kim Hersen-Sic told the BBC.

“YouTubers receive opinions, the forums receive the engagement, the newsletters receive traffic. I do not think that (Kim’s death) will change the situation.

“There must be a higher penalty punishment against leaving nasty comments,” he says.

Kim Sa-Horn’s father blamed YouTuber for her death, claiming that the controversial videos she posted sparked her deep emotional suffering.

Others have directed their fingers to some local media, which, according to reports, nourish the public dislike against Kim, reporting unverified claims.

“This cycle of the murder of a media murder must stop,” said a statement by the civil group of the civil group for democratic media on Tuesday.

Na Jong-Ho, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Yale, likened the death toll of celebrities in South Korea with a real version of the squid game, the South Korean Blockbuster of Netflix, who sees the removable struggle to death for a huge cash prize.

“Our society is abandoning those who stumble and move as if nothing has happened. How many more lives must be lost before we stop applying this destructive, suffocating shame of people?” He wrote on Facebook.

“Drunk driving is a big mistake. There will be a problem with our legal system if it goes unpunished. However, a society that buries people who make mistakes without giving them a second chance is not healthy,” added Prof.

Last year BBC reported how “Super Fans” in the famous K-POP industry Try to dictate the privacy of your idols – from their romantic relationships to their daily activities out of work – and can be unforgivable when things come out of the script.

It is no surprise that Kim Sa-Ron chose to withdraw from the eyes of society after her sentence to DUI, for which in April 2023 she was fined £ 20 million (11,000 pounds).

However, it is worth noting that not all public figures are subject to the same treatment. Politicians, including opposition leader, Lee J-Mung, also have past beverages, but have been able to bounce-huts show that Lee is already the president’s best president in the country.

In South Korea, it is “extremely difficult” to recover when they do something that puts a crack in their image “Idol,” says K-POP colostine Jeff Benjamin.

It contrasts with the entertainment industries in the West, where controversy and scandals sometimes even “add Rockstar’s reputation similar to Rockstar” to celebrity reputation.

“Until no one is injured when a Hollywood celebrity is arrested for DUI (drinking under the influence of alcohol or drugs) or sent to prison for significant crimes, this is not necessarily in the career,” he says.

Although the Korea entertainment industry has taken steps to deal with the problems of the mental wealth of artists, it is unclear how effective they were.

True change can only happen when there is no more financial or incentives for attention to continue with such intrusive reporting, says G -N Benjamin.

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Additional reporting by Jake Konn in Seoul