Suicide in Korea

I recently watched a short documentary about suicide in Korea.

South Korea has the highest suicide rate among developed nations. Somewhere around 40 South Koreans kill themselves everyday. The country experienced tremendous growth in the late 20th century but somehow it led to increased suicide rates. During its development, South Korea invested in schools and raised the country on the platform of education. Academic under-performance is in some ways a failure to the nation. Around the world, Korea is known for its academic scrutiny. However, there has to be something beyond this to explain suicide. We don't see Americans killing themselves when they don't attain the "American dream". The documentary address another potential explanation.

Asian cultures in general place great importance in the value of community (as opposed to individualism). In asian countries, and especially in South Korea, the whole is more important than its parts. Because of this, the sense of belonging is extremely important for individuals in these cultures. The feeling of not belonging to the national identity can be a source of depression and extreme anxiety. Korea, having adopted education as part of its national identity, has set a high bar for "belonging". However, this is seen in other areas of Korean culture. There is also a very high number of plastic surgeries done in the country (especially in the eyes and nose). This trend is also related to suicide. The bar to "fitting in" goes increasingly beyond the reach of the average person and this leads to increased despair and suicides.