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Although people kill themselves across the world for various reasons, Korea has one of the highest number of suicides in the world. Among the OECD countries Korea is infamous for being the country with high suicide rates.
A prominent French sociologist Emile Durkheim made an in-depth study on the phenomenon of suicide. As one of the founding fathers of positivism, Durkheim argued that people commit suicide mainly due to social reasons. He categorized cases of suicide into four subtypes: anomic, egoistic, altruistic and fatalistic. According to Durkheim people are driven to suicide because of lesser or higher integration with society.
Korea achieved economic transformation in a very short period of time. From being an agriculture based economy to a manufacturing giant, Korea became one of the Asian tiger economies within decades. However social change in the country did not keep pace with economic change. This sudden transformation has massive social implications. According to the Statistics Korea the rise in the number of cases of suicide since 1990 has been almost four times.
Korea was still a newly democratized country 25 years ago and its economy was not as globalized as it is now. The more Korea became democratized and globalized, the suicide rate also increased proportionately. For some scholars the democratization of politics and the globalization of the economy have not benefitted the common people as compared to the chaebol groups in Korea.
Korea became known as the "Miracle on the Han River" because of the rapid economic transformation but the same Han River also became an infamous site for people committing suicide. Korea joined the OECD in 1996 but it remains low on the life satisfaction index amongst OECD countries.
The alienation of people in society is the major reason that drives them to commit suicide. In the past Korea had a closely knit society where family and community bonding were very strong. The rapid industrialization and urbanization of the country broke these social bonds and alienated individuals from the social life.
Despite advancements in information technology and increased social networking, individuals in this era of globalization find themselves disconnected with society. The rural population in Korea has been declining and so has the community living there. In towns and cities many people spend lonely and secluded life. Korea is an ageing society so a large number of old people are also compelled to spend an isolated life.
In the past social trust was high in Korea. The cooperative social living and sharing of labor (dure) has faded away. On the other hand, competition is rising in Korean society. The cut-throat competition even among school kids is detrimental in building social trust and developing interdependence.
A large number of people in Korea have started living in single households. The falling birthrate in the country is threatening the very survival of the Korean people. According to a report by the National Assembly the entire population of Korea could become extinct by the year 2750. This would make Korea an example of "collective suicide."
There is a need to revive social life in Korea. Civic organizations and NGOs should play an active role in reviving community life and help people connect with society.
Korean economic development was a result of the collective effort of Koreans to catch-up with the West. The Saemaul Undong movement is the brightest example which shows that collective efforts can create wonders. In recent years the Korean economy has been witnessing a decline. The revival of the Korean economy can be possible with the revival of community life in Korea and would also control suicides in the country.
The author is a Ph.D candidate at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Contact him at rkdhawan13@hotmail.com.
