Episode 2 : Suicide and Wellbeing in South Korea

By: Won Young Lee (Wonny)

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SYNOPSIS

Turns out it was too late for guards to save Kang Jin Seop from killing himself—he is confirmed dead in the prison’s morgue.

Shi Mok reopens the investigation and takes the—allegedly—manipulated evidence to a national forensic laboratory, where the analyst verifies that it was not altered.

Later, Shi Mok and Lieutenant Han Yeo Jin share details of CEO Park's involvement in corruption, building suspicion that someone else is involved and the video evidence is fake—Shi Mok mentally replays every possible renditions of the murder, logically concluding that Kang Jin Seop cannot be the killer.

Shi Mok slips into Prosecutor Seo Dong Jae’s office and discovers files of prostitution targeting, promptly gets scolded.

In the final scenes of the episode, Shi Mok is bribed with a promotion by Deputy Chief Lee for his silence and cooperation in regards to the CEO Park scandal, undoubtedly proving that there is corruption taking place—Shi Mok reveals that he knows more than what Chief Lee initially thought, and expresses dissatisfaction with a measly promotion to Section Chief.

All images via DramaFever

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DISCUSSION

Suicide is problematic everywhere, but South Korea’s suicide rate is shockingly high. Their suicide rate corresponds to that of a developing country, and is among the highest in the world at four times greater than the global average (Kim et al. 2010, 1254). From episode two of Stranger, Kang Jin Seop’s motive for his suicide epitomizes the broader issues of contemporary Korean society. The South Korean population suffers immensely because of the hierarchical system and unspoken rules of Confucianism and conformity.

The hierarchical system in South Korea carries too much importance in the everyday life of an average person. Students undergo ridiculous amounts of pressure to triumph in their studies because good grades and top university enrollments will dictate their employment level, and thus their position in the hierarchy (Park et al. 2017, 716). The communal goal to be the best explains why Dr. Saeji listed competitiveness as a significant player in Korean society; many young Koreans will kill themselves if they fail to gain admission for a certain university, or feel incapable of acquiring a good career due to past academic performances (Kim et al. 2010, 1259). In the drama, Kang Jin Seop is an ex-convict, low wage worker, and father who gets by. However, the extra work and stress that he needs to bear for his child and wife is excessive. A study done by Kim et al. (2006) determines that, when comparing low social classes from other developed countries, Korean peoples' struggles are far worse with financial and mental troubles. This explains the higher relative suicide rate in Korea's lower class.

In the introductory lecture, Dr. Saeji highlights the importance of Confucianism and collectivism in Korean families, which is nice since it emphasizes togetherness. Nevertheless, Confucianism can encourage family distress. Park et al. (2017) reached the conclusion that families with Confucianist values need to satisfy two conditions in order to avoid conflict: parents must ably fund their child’s needs, and the child must achieve the parents’ expectations in return. If one fails to fulfill their role, they lose feelings of belonging and develop senses of shame, burden, and incompetence. In his suicide note, Kang Jin Seop exhibits a similar negative self-image by asking, “Why must my child become the child of a murderer?” The rhetorical question suggests that he blames himself for ending up in prison and making his daughter an outcast; due to unspoken conformity rules, the child will certainly become a victim of bullying because she is “that kid” with a murderous father. The delicate balance of familial obligations will naturally lead to many broken relationships.

As a result of strict hierarchy, Confucianism, and conformity, South Korea has become a manifestation of social regulation, making life unnecessarily strenuous for its citizens. Kang Jin Seop's suicide encapsulates problems and attitudes which can only complement an overly-competitive, over-regulated society. Better social welfare programs should be implemented to discourage anyone —young or old—from killing themselves, but the government exhibits no serious desires to accommodate.

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QUESTIONS:

Can you sympathize with Kang Jin Seop's decision to commit suicide and leave a mother and young daughter behind?

In your perspective, what would be the typical reasons for contemplating suicide in places like Canada or the USA? How do you think they differ from the reasons mentioned in Korea?

(*Only if you feel comfortable sharing*) Have you personally dealt with suicidal thoughts or worse? Do you think sharing experiences of suicide to others is still a taboo/forbidden topic in Canada? How about in Korea?

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Bibliography

Kim, Moon-Doo, Hong, Seong-Chul, Lee, Sang-Yi, Kwak, Young-Sook, Lee, Chang-In, Hwang, Seung-Wook, Shin, Tae-Kyun, Lee, Seung-Min, and Ji-Nam Shin. 2006. “Suicide Risk in Relation to Social Class: A National Register-Based Study of Adult Suicides in Korea, 1999–2001.” International Journal of Social Psychiatry 52, no. 2 (2006): 138-151.

Kim, Myoung-Hee, Jung-Choi, Kyunghee, Jun, Hee-Jin, and Ichiro Kawachi. “Socioeconomic Inequalities in Suicidal Ideation, Parasuicides, and Completed Suicides in South Korea.”

Social Science & Medicine 70, no. 8 (2010): 1254-1261.

Lee, Hoo-Yeon, Hahm, Myung-Il, and Eun-Cheol Park. “Differential Association of Socioeconomic Status with Gender- and Age-Defined Suicidal Ideation among Adult and Elderly Individuals in South Korea” Psychiatry Research 210, no. 1 (2013): 323-328.

Park, Yeonsoo, Baik, Seung Yeon, Kim, Hyang-Sook, and Seung-Hwan Lee. “The Influence of Traditional Culture and the Interpersonal Psychological Theory on Suicide Research in Korea.” Psychiatry Investigation 14, no. 6 (2017): 713-718.

Sakinofsky, Isaac, and Antoon A. Leenaars. "Suicide in Canada with Special Reference to the Difference between Canada and the United States." Suicide & Life - Threatening Behavior 27, no. 1 (1997): 112-126.