Maytinee Kramer/ Opinion Director
Even to this day I still cannot believe that Jonghyun is no longer with us. I remember reading the headlines and thought to myself, “this is a joke…April Fools’ came early…”
Kim Jong-hyun, known by his stage name Jonghyun and a member of popular South Korean boyband SHINee, died Monday, Dec. 18 in what was an apparent suicide, leaving K-pop fans devastated by the tragic and sudden loss. Jonghyun was found unconscious at his apartment in Seoul, police told Korean media. He was 27.
The singer had a huge fan base as the lead singer of SHINee and was known for his outspoken views in favor of LGBT rights. The group, formed by SM Entertainment, shot to fame after the release of their debut EP, “Replay,” in 2008.
SHINee fans, known as Shawols, quickly spread their grief on Twitter, with hashtags #Jonghyun and #MyMentalHealthIn5Words trending worldwide.
Jonghyun’s sudden death is truly unbelievable, but it does force a spotlight on how society views and treats depression.
His management company, SM Entertainment, released a statement confirming the K-pop idol’s death on Monday.
“We’re sorry to deliver such heart-aching, unfortunate news. On December 18, SHINee member Jonghyun left our side unexpectedly,” the company said.
“The deep sorrow cannot be compared to ones of his family who had to let go of their loving son and brother but the employees and artists of SM Entertainment, also in deep shock and sorrow, are offering condolences,” the statement added.
Photo retrieved from SHINee Official Facebook.
While South Korea has earned global recognition for its colorful and youthful music industry, known as K-pop, at the same time, the country has struggled with a much more ignominious distinction — its suicide rate is the highest in the industrialized world.
Jonghyun’s death is just one of many prominent examples of South Korea’s alarming suicide mortality rate, which two years ago surpassed all but nine countries worldwide, according to the Los Angeles Times. Numerous celebrities have taken their lives, and even a former president, Roh Moo-hyun, leapt to his death from a cliff in 2009 amid scandal.
In 2015, South Korea reported 13,500 suicides, or about 37 a day. Suicides were the second-leading cause of death by injury, after vehicle accidents, according to the World Health Organization.
An apparent suicide note left by Jonghyun revealed the depth of his struggles with depression. After much consulting with Jonghyun’s family, the note was posted on Monday on Instagram by one of his close friends, Jang Hee-yeon, who is better known by stage name Nine9, of the South Korean group Dear Cloud, according to The Washington Post.
“I’m broken from the inside,” the note read. “The depression that has slowly eaten away at me has finally consumed me, and I couldn’t beat it.”
In his note, Jonghyun spoke of wanting to run away from his pain and mentioned the pressure of being in the spotlight for nearly a decade.
“The life of fame was not for me. They say it’s hard to bump up against the world and become famous,” he wrote. “Why did I choose this life? It’s a funny thing. It’s a miracle that I lasted this long.”
Jonghyun ended his note by asking people not to blame him. “What else is there to say? Just tell me I did well. Tell me that this is enough,” he wrote. “Tell me I worked hard. Even if you can’t smile, please don’t blame me as you send me off. Well done. You’ve really worked hard. Goodbye.”
It was also reported by Yonhap that Jonghyun’s sister told police that she received foreboding text messages from her brother alluding to a “final farewell” and called emergency responders late Monday afternoon because she feared that Jonghyun was going to take his own life.
Emergency responders rushed to the singer’s Gangnam District apartment where they reportedly found coal briquettes burning on the stove and suspect carbon monoxide poisoning may have been the cause of death.
Jonghyun’s sudden death is shocking and saddening, but more than that, it seriously highlights a societal ill.
“It is a social phenomenon that stems from a combination of individual, societal and generational issues,” said Kim Hyun-jeong, a psychiatrist at the National Medical Center who also works with the Korean Assn. for Suicide Prevention, said to the Los Angeles Times.
Rapid development after the Korean War caused income inequality and a society that valued competition and achievement over individuals and quality of life. Kim also theorized that it’s because many South Koreans think they would rather die than suffer humiliation when honor is at stake.
Suicide and depression is a real thing. Everyday people, not just celebrities can suffer from it. Depression is a topic not often discussed because of the “just get over it” mentality. Talking about mental illness openly is an important step towards ridding humanity of the stigma, but more needs to be done. The mental illness umbrella has a broad reach and disorders that fall beneath it are diverse.
It’s really important that we never ignore the signs. Warning signs that someone may be thinking about or planning to commit suicide include always talking or thinking about death, making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless, and clinical depression among others.
We as a society also need to understand depression as another adaptive process — a normal response to an often abnormal situation. We need to accept depression for what it is and stop pushing it under the rug as something taboo.
At FIU, there is Counseling and Psychological Services that provides mental health services to students. CAPS offers programs and services with licensed psychologists, clinical social workers, and trainees with expertise to help deal with student concerns and development.
There is also the Lifeline network, which is available 24/7 across the United States. If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support that is free and confidential, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
To commit to the destigmatisation of mental illness, we need to do much more than just discuss disorders that we are more comfortable talking about. Additionally, remember to always cloathe others, as well as yourself, in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Let the loss of a bright and talented soul serve as a lesson and as a reminder that we can prevent any more losses of people to their darkness.
Jonghyun deserves to be remembered for what a great, talented and loving person he was, and what an inspiration he was to so many people. May the darkness never reach him and may he see the light forever while he sleeps peacefully.
As my final words to Jonghyun, you did well. You worked really hard.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of Panther Press Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
Photo retrieved from SHINee Official Facebook
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