I decided to write this as a follow up to a comment on the Hagwon Blog. In September of 2008, The Korean Times wrote an article saying that the suicide rate in Korea has doubled in one decade making Korea the number one country in the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development. It says that there are 24.8 suicides per 100,000 people (compared to 10.1 in the US), 2 male suicides for every one female suicide. Suicide is the 4th largest cause of death and the top cause of death of people in their 20’s and 30’s and the 2nd biggest reason among teenagers.
Jang Ja-yeon, pictured above was a 26 year old actress who was on a great show, Boys Before Flowers, see the blog, who committed suicide in the middle of the shows filming.
When it comes to my students, they are quite a bit younger but they are still exhausted and over worked. As per suicide, I truly hope that my kids are smart enough to just take a break or find an outlet for their stress.
2 comments:
Ahh, this somewhat answers my comment on your previous post (as well as your reply there). I know that Daul Kim was also another prominent suicide in the past couple of months. It's so sad. That people feel that amount of pressure and see no escape other than to take their lives. I too hope that your students find other outlets.
Standard of living is so high these days, but at what cost? We are all better educated, vaccinated, and remunerated, but we're also for the most part more tired, stressed, and overworked in order to keep up with our increased standard of life.
Sometimes it seems like a vicious circle!
it seems very often i hear about suicide. sometimes i cringe when my students break down and cry when i give them detention and they tell me all that they have to do, but school rules are so strict i cant help it.
i feel personally that our life here is much less stressed than it ever was back home, when we talk to friends and family, sometimes I wish i could give them a little of the peace we have found living here away from the bills and standards of living in florida.
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