Editorial Desk

Popular actress Choi Jin-sil was found dead at her home Thursday morning, an apparent suicide, according to the police.

While suicides involving celebrities are shocking, this one was even more so because it came less than a month after actor Ahn Jae-hwan killed himself. In the days following Ahn's death, the internet rumour mill was in full operation, churning out tales of Choi's alleged involvement with loan sharks. The gist of the various accounts was that Choi was among those loan sharks who had lent money to Ahn and that Ahn was driven to suicide by the mounting debt and loan sharks' threats. It so happens that Choi is a good friend of Ahn's wife. If the rumours were to be believed, Choi was a vile person who drove her friend's husband to his death.

The police, on Sept 29, nabbed a woman suspected of having posted the story on the internet and are investigating the case. Choi was reported to have said she would take the case to court.

The day before her death, Choi shot a television commercial and had dinner with the head of her agency. While she seemed exhausted and expressed frustration with the rumours surrounding her, her agent says he had no idea that Choi would take her own life.

Choi's death comes as a surprise because she had beaten many other odds in her storied life. Throughout her career, she suffered from malicious gossips. Choi's manager was killed at the height of her career, an incident that incited numerous rumours. Her marriage to a baseball star broke down after she was physically abused by him. She took custody of their two children and was once again enjoying a popular following as her recent dramas became hits.

No one could have guessed that underneath the cheerful veneer lay a person suffering from depression. According to Choi's acquaintances, the actress sought medical help for depression after her divorce. The recent internet rumours must have added to her despair.

The string of celebrity suicides highlights a troubling social phenomenon in Korea. Last year, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death in the country, about 25 people out of 100,000 took their own lives.

Also disturbing is the fact that people in their 20s and 30s account for the largest number of suicides. People who are in the prime of their lives, who should be leading productive lives and who should look forward to the future are choosing to end their lives.

Society should work together to prevent this social ill from claiming more lives. More suicide hotlines should be available and the public should also be educated to look out for signs of suicidal tendencies.

The media could also play a role by the way it reports on suicides. Giving detailed information on how the suicide was committed carries the danger of others copying the act. This was the case with the death of Ahn when, on the days following his death, several people took their lives using the method that Ahn had used to kill himself.