Kim Sae-ron’s death exposes South Korea’s celebrity culture

Actress Kim Sae-ron‘s death in an apparent suicide has renewed criticism of South Korea’s entertainment industry, which churns out stars but also subjects them to immense pressure and scrutiny.

After being found guilty of drink-driving in 2022, Kim, 24, had been bombarded with negative media coverage and online love. She became so unpopular, displays featuring her were edited out of exhibits.

According to experts, the circumstances that led to her death are bleakly comfortable. Another famous people committed suicide after their professions were ruined by abuse.

Researchers don’t believe Kim’s death may cause any significant change because she was laid to rest on Wednesday.

South Korea’s leisure business is enjoying huge popularity.

There are more than 220 million Asian pleasure fans worldwide today, which is four times the number of South Koreans.

However, the less beautiful part of the entertainment business is gaining more and more attention.

South Korea is renowned for having a highly competitive society in all areas of life, from learning to work. One of the highest suicide rates among developed nations is in it. While its total death rate is falling, incidents of those in their 20s are rising.

This force is heightened in the case of stars. They are subjected to the needs of obstinate” very viewers” who can make or break careers and are under a lot of pressure to be perfect.

Also the slightest mistake may be the end of a job because of this.

” It is not enough that the stars be held accountable by the authorities.” They become goals of continuous criticism”, Korean culture writer Kim Hern-sik told the BBC.

He made reference to K-pop musicians Sulli and Goo Hara, both of whom had endured much battles with online trolls, despite the fact that they had never had any legal encounters. Sulli and Goo Hara passed away in 2019 by death.

Sulli had offended fans for not conforming to the K-pop mould, while an internet mob had targeted Goo Hara over her relationship with an ex-boyfriend.

Bullying has also become a money-making job for some, Asian culture critique Kim Hern-sik told the BBC.

” Influencers get the opinions, communities get the proposal, news outlets getting the traffic. I don’t think]Kim’s death ] will change the situation.

” There needs to be harsher legal consequence against leaving dirty comments, “he says.

Kim Sae-ron’s parents claims a YouTuber caused her death, claiming that the contentious films they published caused her severe emotional distress.

Others have criticized some neighborhood media outlets, who allegedly reported the unsubstantiated allegations as fueling open animosity against Kim.

Citizens ‘ Alliance for Democratic Media, a civil rights organization, said in a speech on Tuesday that” this cycle of media-driven character assassination has quit.”

The spate of star deaths in South Korea was compared to a real-life type of Squid Game, the North Korean Netflix movie that sees the obliged fighting to the dying for a sizable cash prize, according to Na Jong-ho, a psychology professor at Yale University.

How many more lives may get lost before we stop inflicting this devastationous, stifling sorrow on individuals? Our world abandons those who stumble and techniques on as if nothing happened. “he wrote on Twitter.

” Crazy moving is a huge mistake. If that continues to go unnoticed, then our legal system would suffer. However, a world that buryes those who fail without giving them a second chance is not one that is good, Prof. Na continued.

Last year, the BBC reported on how “super fans” in the notorious K-pop industry try to dictate their idols’ private lives – from their romantic relationships to their daily activities outside of work – and can be unforgiving when things go off script.

It is no surprise that Kim Sae-ron chose to withdraw from the public eye after her DUI conviction, for which she was fined 20 million won ( £11, 000 ) in April 2023.

It is worth noting nevertheless, that not all people images are subject to the same care. Officials, including opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, even have past drink-driving views but have been able to bounce back- elections show Lee is now the country’s leading presidential candidate.

In South Korea, it is” really hard” for artistes to return when they do something that puts a hole in their” hero “image, says K-pop journalist Jeff Benjamin.

He contrasts this to entertainment companies in the West, where disputes and scandals often yet” include a rockstar-like advantage” to celebrities ‘ reputations.

” While no one applause when a Hollywood superstar is arrested for DUI ( drinking under the influence of alcohol or drugs ) or sent to jail for major offences, it’s not always career-ending, “he says.

Although there have been efforts made by the Korean entertainment industry to handle artists ‘ concerns about mental money, it is unclear how efficient these efforts have been.

According to Mr. Benjamin, real change can only occur when like aggressive monitoring is no longer financially or financially supported.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story you can find information and support on the BBC Actionline website here.

Jake Kwon provided extra monitoring in Seoul.