Korean children have a school year of 11 months and often spend over 16 hours a day at school and at afterschool programs called hagwons. For children, most suicides are caused by stress relating to education. South Korea has the highest suicide rate in the world for children ages 10-19 and extremely high elderly (60+) suicide rates. While it is important that people are aware of the economic dangers of another crash and are taking steps to prevent it, South Korea’s work and school cultures are lethally toxic.Īdolescents and the elderly, widely considered vulnerable groups in society, are the most at risk for suicide. Studies have shown a correlation between economic stress and physical and emotional well-being. According to the Journal of Royal Society of Medicine, during a period of economic uncertainty, in places where people have easy access to unhealthy coping mechanisms, there are higher rates of mortality from suicide. Since then, fear of another such crash recurring has intensified workplace stress. In 1997, Korea experienced a huge economic crash and thousands of people were out of work. These customs likely developed from worry about the economy. South Korea is known for its high-stress professional and educational environments, in which it is customary to work or study long hours into the night. The South Korean Health and Welfare Ministry estimates that 90% of people who committed suicide in 2016 had a diagnosable psychiatric illness, such as depression or anxiety, conditions often caused by stress. While all the reasons may never be known, research on the topic has provided us with some answers. For years, social scientists have puzzled over why this economically successful state has such startlingly high suicide rates. It is the only OECD country whose suicide rates have increased since the 1990s. South Korea has the highest suicide rate among the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations, which include countries such as Germany, the U.K., and Japan. Suicide is the fourth most common cause of death in South Korea on average, 40 people commit suicide every day. Korea’s suicide rate, attributable to its high-stress society, is among the highest in the world. One change has been a sharp increase in the suicide rates among large segments of the population, including adolescents and the elderly. The country’s profound economic growth has brought along major social changes. What was once an agrarian, impoverished colony is now the world’s 13th largest economy. South Korea has achieved remarkable growth in the 60 years after WWII. Countless others have documented what some call “the scourge of South Korea” – the fact that people of all classes, ages, and genders are committing suicide at exceptionally high rates. “Suicide is everywhere,” says South Korean author Young-ha Kim, referring to modern Korean society, in his op-ed for the The New York Times.
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