By Lee Eung-tae
These days, the collapse of apartment prices and the tragic aftermath is something I hate to think about. The media are cluttered with despairing stories about the economic downturn, and people burdened with mortgages they cannot pay.
As the world economy continues to decline, Korea is increasingly full of middle and lower class people falling into the abyss of debt. The repercussions can be terrible. Reports of suicide are all too common. The pressure of snowballing debt or sudden dismissal, businesses going bankrupt and other financial disasters provoke self-destructive tendencies, which breaks my heart.
Being in the same boat as them, I can empathise with these miserable people; particularly those who see the value of a heavily mortgaged apartment plunge irredeemably.
Traditionally, purchasing a home has brought relief to people who finally feel they have their own nesting place. But now the sacred home is a monster harassing owners with the burden of the mortgage payments. All too often the only recourse is suicide, causing overwhelming sadness to bereaved families and other people left behind.
Another frustrating case seems to be the baby boomers now retiring or preparing for retirement. Those in their late fifties and early sixties must be suffering agonies of anxiety. Perhaps they haven’t prepared adequately for the future. They may have unmarried children and so need money for their weddings. They may be paying back loans they took out to pay for their offspring’s education.
For one reason or another they will be having a hard time sleeping on these hot humid summer nights. Most frustratingly, there are few solutions offered by the authorities, those politicians obsessed with the December presidential election.
Moreover, Internet portal sites compound the pain by intentionally offering provocative headlines, stressing that the price of apartments has halved, leaving many owners feeling frustration, hopelessness, regret and despair.
Undoubtedly, most of these are decent people who have led law abiding and responsible lives. The disaster that struck them came right out of the blue.
The problem must be laid at the feet of a government which has neglected its obligation to create a stakeholder economy in which most members of society can prosper. Poor government policy, frequently driven by populism, can create catastrophe.
We should not indulge in a blame game, however, but urge the implementation of a mechanism to prevent those in despair from ending their lives tragically. Feeling stigmatized, they may avoid friends, colleagues and even relatives. They become closed minded and gripped by negativity, and in extreme case, victims of paranoia.
In this saddening situation, I think what is urgently needed for those in despair is the embrace of a warm heart and a sympathetic ear with which they will be empowered to stand up again.
Personally, I would like to remind those in despair that they are by no means alone. They can find loving ones saying “I love you.” There are people who admire you, love you, pray for you, want to be with you, and think of you wherever you are. And you can rely on them.
Life is still worth carrying on. Strong bonds often come from an experience of adversity. As you overcome hardship helped by loved ones, you will become more attached to them.
So please abandon all thoughts of suicide. Let’s all get together and rise up again. Hopefully, this biblical verse will inspire you: ``Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ― Isaiah 41:10
The writer is an English teacher at Gimhae Girls' High School in South Gyeongsang Province. He can be reached at eungtae@gmail.com.