Today, I'm going to tell you about Korean teenager's suicide through my experience. The first memory of someone’s suicide accident happened when I was an elementary school student. It was a clear Sunday, and I went to a market in my apartment complex with my friends. When we went out of the market, we could see some crowds, an ambulance car and a body covered with white cloth on the road. I heard she is a high school student, and I saw her foot and her blood. The accident remains vividly in my memory. Unluckily, after that, I could hear some more news about teenager’s jumping down suicide in my apartment. Because the complex of the APT is very large and high, and the rooftop gate is always opened.. One day when I was a middle school student, some of my friends told me they saw a body in a high school uniform hang on the fence in my apartment! She jumped down from the rooftop of the APT and she died. I didn’t see it but I could imagine the scene. It’s scary so much! I guess both of them were 19-year-old girls (in Korean age). I can watch news about 19-year-old who should take the Korean SAT (entrance examination for a university) committed suicide before the test or after the test in every year. It’s because they got pressure about the exam a lot because many students and their parents think the exam determines their whole life. I and my friends use to say the day – we’ve studied 12 years for the day! Many Korean think nice university would give them a nice job and nice payment, and it makes their life wealthy. It is partially true, but the problem is people believe it very blindly. In my exam day in 2006, I also saw many students were crying in the way to home. Also they registered to a Hakwon. Of course I could see some news tell some students killed themselves in the day. I have no idea how Korean government should deal with it, and what can we do for it. However I know that everyone knows that is a serious problem. Someone say our education curriculum should be loosen. Japan already tried it and it failed. The math and science score of Japanese students are decreasing. That's not Korean government want... Like that, Korean government cannot solve the problem easily. .. Recently, Obama mentioned Korean education system and how much Korean students study in his speech. Does he knows Korean student’s chronic mentality problems? He may not. If he really want protect his people, he should not say like that..
Thanks for sharing a personal experience, Hailie.
답글삭제The graphs you used are really interesting in light of today's class discussion. The pie chart shows 28% of suicides of 20-24 year olds are based on economic problems. But do you really think these are people in true poverty? As we read, Koreans barely had enough money to survive just a few decades ago, yet the suicide rate was substantially lower. This makes me wonder what the definition of "economic problems" really is. Regardless of the definition, those people needed help and were unable to get it, and that is unfortunate.
One of my high school friend also committied suicide when he is 17 years old. He was the smartest student when he was in secondary school, but his scores in first grade was not good. That's why he hung himself.
답글삭제It's very serious problem. Government should make an alternative plan!
Koreans competitive education system is huge problem! It should has to change to her own competition instead of competing with others. Trying to jump their own prior levels will have a positive effect for students.
답글삭제You had such a terrible experience.
답글삭제There are many things related to suicide, one of them is education system.
I think this competitive condition will continue.
anyway I saw you eating dinner with teachers in the office when I left the language center. How long did you work