By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

The number of women in their 20s who committed suicide has doubled in four years, the National Police Agency said Wednesday.

The agency said economic difficulties and "celebrity copycat syndrome" were responsible for the rise.

According to the police, the number of total suicides reached 12,270 last year, down from 13,293 in 2004.

However, the number among young women has risen. A total of 802 women in their 20s committed suicide in 2008, nearly double the 415 in 2004 and much more than the number of men. About 160 women under 20 years old killed themselves last year, compared to 106 four years ago.

Hong Jun-pyo of Seoul Asan Medical Center said, "This is quite a rare case worldwide because usually suicide by males is more than two to three times higher than women."

He suspected the economic difficulties to be a contributing factor, particularly when women feel left out at the workplace. He added, "I think many of them committed copycat suicides following celebrities killing themselves."

Actor Ahn Jae-hwan and top actress Choi Jin-sil committed suicide in September and October last year. Entertainer and transsexual model Jang Chae-won, gay model Kim Ji-hu and singer Lee Seo-hyun also committed suicide.

According to a survey, 23.6 percent of 700 adults said they were tempted to commit suicide after the deaths of the celebrities.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr