K-pop deaths of Goo Hara, Sulli and Jonghyun leave industry with blood on its hands (1 Viewer)

[Yoohyeon]

Source: Two years, three deaths: something rotten in K-pop world

K-pop deaths of Goo Hara, Sulli and Jonghyun leave industry with blood on its hands

• To have three celebrities from the same industry, in the same country, die in less than two years shows that something has gone tragically wrong
• Pressure placed on singers and performers by K-pop industry, and lack of mental health support, has reaped a devastating cost

It’s time to admit it: something is rotten in the world of K-pop.


On Sunday, singer Goo Hara, 28, was found dead in her home in Seoul six months after she survived what is believed to be her first suicide attempt. Her death came just six weeks after Sulli – another K-pop star and Goo’s close friend – took her own life aged 25 after a long battle with online bullies.


The spate of K-pop suicides started almost two years ago when Kim Jong-hyun, better known as Jonghyun from top boy band Shinee, killed himself in December 2017 at the age of 27.



The trio are of course not the first music icons to commit suicide – Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain famously died by his own hand in 1994, and more recently we have seen the death by suicide of The Prodigy’s Keith Flint (March this year) and Chester Bennington from Linkin Park (July 2017).

But to have three celebrities from the same industry, in the same country, die in the space of less than two years indicates that something has gone tragically wrong in K-pop.

Goo, 28, was found dead in her home in Seoul on Sunday, six months after she survived what is believed to be her first suicide attempt.

The pressure the K-pop machine exerts on its stars – particularly women – is immense. It begins the moment they enter training schools as teenagers: they have their mobile phones taken from them, they are cut off from family and friends, forbidden from engaging in normal youthful relationships, and are taught to project a bizarre, conflicting image of both innocence and sexual availability.

And the cost for any transgression – particularly from K-pop’s obsessive sasaeng fans – can be huge.

Six weeks ago Sulli – another K-pop star and Goo’s close friend – took her own life aged 25.

Sulli and Goo had their private lives examined intensely and both faced barrages of online criticism: Sulli came under fire before her death for hosting a live drinking party on Instagram, while Goo had been involved in a legal drama over a sex video allegedly filmed by an ex-boyfriend.

The double standards that apply to K-pop’s male and female stars are obvious. While Sulli and Goo were being bullied and slut shamed for behaviour that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows in more liberal societies, misogynistic male K-pop stars Jung Joon-young, Choi Jong-hoon and Seungri from boy band BigBang felt so untouchable that they operated a chat room where they shared videos of themselves having sex with women who appeared to be drugged or unconscious.


After one member uploaded a video of himself having sex with a woman who had clearly passed out, Choi commented: “Wait. She is fainted. I want to see her alive.” Jung’s only comments were “You raped her” and a laughing emoji.

Before her death, Sulli had been the target of online bullies.

Goo’s first suicide attempt in May should have been the wake-up call the K-pop businesses needed, but it is a tragedy that nobody in the industry seemed to listen to it. South Korean authorities, however, appear to finally be responding to this crisis in K-pop – prosecutors are now seeking a seven-year jail term for Jung, while a bill named “Sulli’s Law” may be introduced in South Korea’s National Assembly next month to fight cyberbullying.


We may never know what support Goo was offered after her first suicide attempt in May. But it is perhaps telling that the first news we had of the star in six months came just two weeks ago, when her management attempted to relaunch Goo’s career with a low-key, Japan-only tour and single release.


This suggests that her team’s top priority was to get her back on stage and making money instead of helping her deal with the issues that pushed her to try to take her own life in the first place.

Kim Jong-hyun, better known as Jonghyun from top boy band Shinee, killed himself in December 2017 at the age of 27.

Considering the rumours that have long circulated about the sexual abuse of young starlets in South Korea’s entertainment industries, it’s surprising that the death toll isn’t even higher. Remember that in 2009, 29-year-old actress Jang Ja-yeon died by suicide after leaving a note that said she’d been forced to sleep with more than 30 prominent men. And in 2013, the CEO of Open World Entertainment, Jang Seok-woo, was jailed for sexually abusing 11 female trainees.


It could also be argued that many K-pop fans bear some responsibility for the spate of suicides, by shaming and blaming the victims online instead of calling for those who have harmed them to be held to account.


In the deaths of these young women, we are now witnessing the devastating cost of the pressure placed on South Korean celebrities and the lack of mental health support in a country with the highest suicide rate among rich nations.

Jang Ja-yeon died by suicide in 2009 after leaving a note that said she’d been forced to sleep with a number of influential South Korean men.

Until the K-pop industry lives up to its obligation to safeguard the mental health of its stars, and stop presenting them as factory-made moneymaking objects whose bodies can be treated like commodities in patriarchal South Korea, it will continue to have blood on its hands.

 

[Abeamus]

I'll be honest, this article seems more like someone trying to bash kpop than actually address a problem.

1. He mentioned Jonghyun but said nothing about his situation and moved onto there's sexual abuse in the industry and i'd guess because Jonghyuns death helped fit his narrative but Jonghyuns situation itself didn't say anything about the industry.

2. In the same sense he mentioned nothing about the situation with Haras ex boyfriend who tried blackmailing her with a video of them sleeping together which is likely what caused the 1st attempt and then losing her best friend in the same year.

3. Sulli is really the only one that does fit the narrative without skipping information since there really isn't anything else that would have contributed to her state other than being treat like garbage from people.

4. Finally bringing up Jang Jayeons case is pretty distasteful considering that case was still being investigated this year since it potentially wasn't suicide.

 

[TaeKpop]

There something going on HMMMMMMMM
We must think why would 3 people form the same company kill them self.
The must be a reasonable reason SOMETHING BIG IS GOING ON (ok this would be a good time for crazy fan cause they would do some things for the truth. too bad i don't know any crazy fan.)

 

[BlingyBlinger]

There something going on HMMMMMMMM
We must think why would 3 people form the same company kill them self.
The must be a reasonable reason SOMETHING BIG IS GOING ON (ok this would be a good time for crazy fan cause they would do some things for the truth. too bad i don't know any crazy fan.)

Sulli left sm ent in 2015 and Hara wasn't in the company at all? This isn't about a certain company or even the industry, it's far bigger and extends to all of SK. The truth is already there, terrible people saying and doing terrible things

 

[RandAlThor]

I'll be honest, this article seems more like someone trying to bash kpop than actually address a problem.

1. He mentioned Jonghyun but said nothing about his situation and moved onto there's sexual abuse in the industry and i'd guess because Jonghyuns death helped fit his narrative but Jonghyuns situation itself didn't say anything about the industry.

2. In the same sense he mentioned nothing about the situation with Haras ex boyfriend who tried blackmailing her with a video of them sleeping together which is likely what caused the 1st attempt and then losing her best friend in the same year.

3. Sulli is really the only one that does fit the narrative without skipping information since there really isn't anything else that would have contributed to her state other than being treat like garbage from people.

4. Finally bringing up Jang Jayeons case is pretty distasteful considering that case was still being investigated this year since it potentially wasn't suicide.

its just a laundry list.

To my knowledge each of those 3 were receiving mental health care.

each person is unique.

Its far to easy to blame a few random trolls ( a super convenient them.)

Each of these adults had other adult friends all were past the point when the agencies are still hyper involved in their day to day lives.

All had options far outstripping any of us on this site.(unless we have multi millionaires just chilling for fun.) At the end of they day they could have moved to Kansas (some where out of the light) and had a different life.

For example the article blames Hara's team for getting her back to work in Japan. As if Hara herself was not very invested in keeping her career moving forward. Preforming can also be a drug. It works just like drugs on the brain.

At the end of the day i find the bad comment argument shallow and hollow, but i am indifferent to what any random person i will never know or care about says. 1000's of people showed up to see them buy their stuff if you are going to internalizes public comments do it from those people.
If they are doing their best and actually acting from love in their heart that should be enough

Sadly these people never noticed that those that were for them were more than those who were against them.

My advise to all of us would be the typical parent saying, choose those with whom you associate very very carefully. In a modern context do not let faceless idiots control your life or happiness. If one is so dependent on outside feedback walk away choose a different life.

This is not to say that faceless idiots get to continue to make death threats false claims ect. Those folks should have their lives destroyed, i do not care if they are 10 or 70. No slap on the wrist probation community service crap. meaning full punishment aimed at eradicating the behavior.

 

[Abeamus]

its just a laundry list.

To my knowledge each of those 3 were receiving mental health care.

each person is unique.

Its far to easy to blame a few random trolls ( a super convenient them.)

Each of these adults had other adult friends all were past the point when the agencies are still hyper involved in their day to day lives.

All had options far outstripping any of us on this site.(unless we have multi millionaires just chilling for fun.) At the end of they day they could have moved to Kansas (some where out of the light) and had a different life.

For example the article blames Hara's team for getting her back to work in Japan. As if Hara herself was not very invested in keeping her career moving forward. Preforming can also be a drug. It works just like drugs on the brain.

At the end of the day i find the bad comment argument shallow and hollow, but i am indifferent to what any random person i will never know or care about says. 1000's of people showed up to see them buy their stuff if you are going to internalizes public comments do it from those people.
If they are doing their best and actually acting from love in their heart that should be enough

Sadly these people never noticed that those that were for them were more than those who were against them.

My advise to all of us would be the typical parent saying, choose those with whom you associate very very carefully. In a modern context do not let faceless idiots control your life or happiness. If one is so dependent on outside feedback walk away choose a different life.

This is not to say that faceless idiots get to continue to make death threats false claims ect. Those folks should have their lives destroyed, i do not care if they are 10 or 70. No slap on the wrist probation community service crap. meaning full punishment aimed at eradicating the behavior.

While I think blaming trolls for Jonghyun and Hara is a very shallow argument when Hara had probably the worst year of her life and Jonghyun wasn't really hated especially not like Hara or Sulli.

Sulli on the other hand I do think the hate affected her as she opened up on Goblin about having 3 other personalities as well as social phobia and panic disorder in an interview which although maybe Knetz weren't the root cause, I doubt they helped at all.

 

[VillageIdiot]

The sex tape was the biggest thing that got traction but Hara was also a victim of sexual assault and domestic violence. It was a lot more than just a revenge porn issue with her.

I don't like how they superficially tried connect five entirely separate issues poorly to create a clustermess in the typical "Let's look down on Korea society as if ours is so much better" standard.

There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of issues within the kpop industry but it always feels predatory when outside journalists fail to do in-depth research and use tragedies for clicks.

 

[Yoohyeon]

The sex tape was the biggest thing that got traction but Hara was also a victim of sexual assault and domestic violence. It was a lot more than just a revenge porn issue with her.

I don't like how they superficially tried connect five entirely separate issues poorly to create a clustermess in the typical "Let's look down on Korea society as if ours is so much better" standard.

There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of issues within the kpop industry but it always feels predatory when outside journalists fail to do in-depth research and use tragedies for clicks.

Yes, I completely agree with this and like people say, the author seems like he's trying to make kpop look bad and while it does have it's issues, they are not the only country to have them.
Kpop is getting much bigger, so of course, people are going to try to shit on it.
It also really annoys me that everything Hara went through, she got so much hate and now that she's not here anymore, people are now saying to take action on her ex.
Where were these people when she was still alive? Oh yes, hating on a woman that experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, revenge porn, etc.

 

[Abeamus]

The sex tape was the biggest thing that got traction but Hara was also a victim of sexual assault and domestic violence. It was a lot more than just a revenge porn issue with her.

I don't like how they superficially tried connect five entirely separate issues poorly to create a clustermess in the typical "Let's look down on Korea society as if ours is so much better" standard.

There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of issues within the kpop industry but it always feels predatory when outside journalists fail to do in-depth research and use tragedies for clicks.

You say just revenge porn but that was the biggest issue as it would have totally ruined her and she had to live knowing a guy like him had it. It's bad enough he nearly killed her when he beat her up but she recovered from that and wouldn't be in that position again however that tape would have haunted her for the rest of her life.

 

[VillageIdiot]

You say just revenge porn but that was the biggest issue as it would have totally ruined her and she had to live knowing a guy like him had it. It's bad enough he nearly killed her when he beat her up but she recovered from that and wouldn't be in that position again however that tape would have haunted her for the rest of her life.

I'm not saying revenge porn isn't a big deal or it wouldn't have had an affect on career but I'd still put at the back of all the things she went through.
Even if she physically recovered from her assault,no one ever fully comes back from that the same. It takes a long time to truly be okay from that, if ever. Instead of seeing her as a victim of one of the worst things you could do a person, people only focused on the sex tape and placed blame of the whole situation on her completely.
The sex tape was a problem but there were definitely bigger issues

 

[Abeamus]

I'm not saying revenge porn isn't a big deal or it wouldn't have had an affect on career but I'd still put at the back of all the things she went through.
Even if she physically recovered from her assault,no one ever fully comes back from that the same. It takes a long time to truly be okay from that, if ever. Instead of seeing her as a victim of one of the worst things you could do a person, people only focused on the sex tape and placed blame of the whole situation on her completely.
The sex tape was a problem but there were definitely bigger issues

I disagree completely and think you are underplaying how much damage it would've done to not only her reputation but also her mental health if she didn't want something like that out there.

Hara literally begged him to not release that tape and maybe you have you reasons for feeling more hatred towards the assault however it's Korea not the west, her boyfriend said he wanted to ruin her and that sex tape would've definitely done that in more ways than one.

 

[VillageIdiot]

I disagree completely and think you are underplaying how much damage it would've done to not only her reputation but also her mental health if she didn't want something like that out there.

Hara literally begged him to not release that tape and maybe you have you reasons for feeling more hatred towards the assault however it's Korea not the west, her boyfriend said he wanted to ruin her and that sex tape would've definitely done that in more ways than one.

I disagree completely and think you are underplaying how much damage it would've done to not only her reputation but also her mental health if she didn't want something like that out there.

Hara literally begged him to not release that tape and maybe you have you reasons for feeling more hatred towards the assault however it's Korea not the west, her boyfriend said he wanted to ruin her and that sex tape would've definitely done that in more ways than one.

She was raped to the point of uterine and vaginal hemorrhaging...

 

[Yoohyeon]

She was raped to the point of uterine and vaginal hemorrhaging...

I can't imagine how much pain she was in physically and mentally.

 

[jasque]

I'll be honest, this article seems more like someone trying to bash kpop than actually address a problem.

1. He mentioned Jonghyun but said nothing about his situation and moved onto there's sexual abuse in the industry and i'd guess because Jonghyuns death helped fit his narrative but Jonghyuns situation itself didn't say anything about the industry.

2. In the same sense he mentioned nothing about the situation with Haras ex boyfriend who tried blackmailing her with a video of them sleeping together which is likely what caused the 1st attempt and then losing her best friend in the same year.

3. Sulli is really the only one that does fit the narrative without skipping information since there really isn't anything else that would have contributed to her state other than being treat like garbage from people.

4. Finally bringing up Jang Jayeons case is pretty distasteful considering that case was still being investigated this year since it potentially wasn't suicide.

It shows how kpop image will be affected in the eyes of people from outside though

Specially since these bad news are reaching a bigger audience than the positive ones

 

[Abeamus]

She was raped to the point of uterine and vaginal hemorrhaging...

As far as i'm aware she never said he raped her, she said they got into a fight and there are other ways to cause that kind of damage like kicking her potentially repeatedly in that area.

 

[blueberries]

Most news outlets in my country have been covering this as well, but they are kinda even messier, including even JJY's molka chats, Seungri's and YG's prostitution accusations etc. to articles. It's pretty much everything bad happening in kpop being lumped in whole pile, though lot of it doesn't rly seem to have correlation. People have mental health issues for various reasons and things pile up.

 

[yeji]

this all is just bs. I hate these kinds of articles.

 

[LoveYooShaSha]

This makes me think of all the articles tat came out about blaming Hollywood/tv/film industry for celebrities suicides due to Hollywood/tv/film industry being terrible after A****** B*******, K*** S****, R**** W******* n others passed. Or blaming the toxic western music industry for deaths of C**** C******, C****** B********* n T**** P***(this last I dint know abt before n surprised me, as it might most 90s kids[which I'm not].

Or tv child stars who killed themselves who I won't mention.
Or death by apparent/ruled overdose in tv stars which Im not gonna name names, either.

Oh tats right, Never happened as far as I can find. (I just found n skimmed a study of research {2014} into music n life span n it mentions toxicity n need for rehabilitation but I've never noticed it mention by western or any media.
So attacking/blaming all of kpop for their deaths is just short-sighted/scapegoating when this article doesn't equate Hollywood/western music culpability as well. It's a Caucasian writer presumably in Hong Kong, so maybe Asia n not the west is his beat/territory. But I don't agree with his conclusions n lumping everything into one altho he makes some singular good points after I read the article.
TL:DR wrong conclusion based on linking everything wrong in kpop. If kpop has blood on it's hands, so does Hollywood, western music, HK music, others industries too. But statistically I think its a microcosm of the country culture, it's too reductive blaming kpop alone. I agree there's problems but even those are reflective of wider Korean culture, just as my country has its own cultural/societal problems. Addressing the wider problems at the same time would be good at the same time as fixing kpop. (Which do we think would happen faster/first/at all?)
I lament the deaths of all the persons mentioned/redacted in my post n hope theres no repeats/recurrence of these tragic incidents.

 

[NASA]

I'll be honest, this article seems more like someone trying to bash kpop than actually address a problem.

1. He mentioned Jonghyun but said nothing about his situation and moved onto there's sexual abuse in the industry and i'd guess because Jonghyuns death helped fit his narrative but Jonghyuns situation itself didn't say anything about the industry.

2. In the same sense he mentioned nothing about the situation with Haras ex boyfriend who tried blackmailing her with a video of them sleeping together which is likely what caused the 1st attempt and then losing her best friend in the same year.

3. Sulli is really the only one that does fit the narrative without skipping information since there really isn't anything else that would have contributed to her state other than being treat like garbage from people.

4. Finally bringing up Jang Jayeons case is pretty distasteful considering that case was still being investigated this year since it potentially wasn't suicide.

I think the whole article and anything similar is somewhat distasteful to be honest. I think with this sort of situation it's really hard to avoid it being distasteful, the media needs to tread very carefully when they take these kinds of topics head on. And if they're going to lump a bunch of tragedies into one article discussing what's wrong with the industry, then it's really important that they address each case fully before they try making a point out of it, as well as address each point they could possibly make rather than just one, otherwise I don't think they should really mention them at all if they're not going to use all their care to put meaning into bringing up each tragedy...