Rookie actor Cha In-ha's suicide raises concern of 'Werther effect'

Actor Cha In-ha/ Courtesy of Fantagio Corp.

By Jung Hae-myoung

Rookie actor Cha In-ha was found dead in his house in southern Seoul by his manager, Dec. 3, Suseo Police Station announced Wednesday. The exact cause of death is yet to be determined.

His death has raised concerns of the "Werther effect," which is named after the protagonist of a novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther," written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The effect refers to the phenomenon of people taking their own lives following widely-publicized suicides.

His death follows the suicide of Sulli, a former member of K-pop girl group f(x), Oct. 14, and her close friend KARA singer Goo Ha-ra who also took her own life Nov. 24.

Cha's death was unexpected as he was appearing in the MBC drama "People with Flaws" as the second brother of the main character Joo Seo-yeon (played by Oh Yeon-seo).

"We are very sorry to tell you that Cha In-ha left this world on Dec. 3. It is heart-breaking to deliver this news to all the people who have shown him love and support," Fantagio, his management company, said. It also requested for the media to refrain from reporting anything based on assumptions or rumors.

Fans were shocked by the sudden death as Cha had been active in communicating with his fans. He also left a photo on Instagram with the post, "Try not to catch a cold," Dec. 2, a day before his death.

"Although young people's deaths grab the attention of media, actual government support to prevent such tragedies is minimal," Hong Hyun-joo, a professor at Hallym University, said in a radio interview.

"The government does not have a sustainable solution to young people's suicides because they are only focused on those among the elderly. There should be a reallocation of the government budget to come up with sustainable prevention of more youth deaths," she emphasized.

Cha debuted in the short film "You, deep inside of me" in 2017, and also participated in a music/acting group called Surprise U, which was formed by Fantagio. He built his acting career through SBS drama "Temperature of love," JTBC's "Clean with passion for now," and "The Banker."

How to get help: the Korea Suicide Prevention Center can be reached at 1393, LifeLine Korea at 1588-9191, and Help Call for Youth at 1388. Lines are available 24/7 for free and offer confidential support for people in suicidal crisis or distress. Currently, only Korean-language services are available.

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