By Bae Ji-sook
Staff reporter
Eight people were found dead at two separate spots Wednesday in apparent group suicides, reigniting fresh concerns over the reemergence of the phenomenon that shook the country last year.
Police are investigating whether they linked up on an Internet suicide site.
According to local investigators, a man and four women were found dead in a car parked in front of the Jangwoi Industrial Complex in Hwaseong, about 50 kilometers southwest of Seoul, at around 1:10 p.m. They were all in their 20s or 30s and had apparently inhaled toxic gas, they said.
The deceased male left what seemed to be a suicide note that read: "I am sorry, police officers and rescue workers, for making you deal with dead bodies. If you cannot identify me from my finger prints, please look at the ID card in my trouser pocket."
Separately, three men were found dead hours later in Chuncheon, about 90 kilometers east of Seoul and 140 kilometers northeast of Hwaseong.
They were all in their 20s and were found in a guesthouse room. They also left a note reading, "We feel sorry for our parents. We have had a hard time finding jobs."
Police said both groups were found with burnt briquettes, and suspect a possible link between the two.
Respective bereaved family members said the deceased struggled with depression and low self-esteem stemming from years of unemployment, or bad relationships among others.
Officers have found evidence that one of the women in the first group sent online messages to the rest asking them to join her on "D-day." If verified, the incidents may be the latest in a series of suicides among youngsters who use the Internet to find like-minded people.
Korea has the highest suicide rate ― 26 people per 100,000 ― among the 33 OECD member states. Over the past couple of years, high-profile actors Ahn Jae-hwan, Choi Jin-sil and Choi Jin-young, former President Roh Moo-hyun and business tycoon Park Yong-oh of Doosan Group have all killed themselves.
Last year, a total of 11 youngsters were found dead in guesthouses or cars in Gangwon Province, in suspected group suicide pacts formulated at online communities.
Dr. Shin Young-chul of Kangbuk Samsung Medical Center said there was a seasonal aspect to depression. "The condition prevails during winter when there isn't much sunlight and lingers on until spring," he said.
The psychiatrist said information on the Internet may have prompted people to make such drastic choices. "From time to time people say, 'I want to die!' but that doesn't necessarily mean they really want to. However, people talk about it and encourage each other through Internet communities, and this puts greater pressure on them," he added. He called for the authorities to crack down on cyberspace sites with harmful content.