Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dave Chance]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/04/113_109638.html

More than half of adolescents aged between 15 and 19, who killed themselves between 2008 and 2010, mentioned stress because of academic work, including school grades and college preparations in suicide notes.

Economic difficulties remained the No. 1 cause of suicide for the 20 to 24 age group, with the rate rising from 18.5 percent in 2008 to 28.1 percent two years later.

�The data shows there�s a serious problem within our social structure in terms of education and the economy,� a researcher said.

�The education system makes teenagers severely depressed. Also, workers and college students in their early 20s have difficulty coping with inflation.�

[DIsbell]

But people commit suicide in other countries too.

[Dave Chance]

That's true.

Although in the article it says that Korea is among 20 countries where the rate among youth is considered to be high, I'd be surprised if amongst those 20 there are many OECD countries (I suspect Japan may be included).

Regardless, it's still a sad comment on a country to have stats like that.

Kids 15-18, and young adults 19-24, feeling like they got to end it all...

[Captain Corea]

It's really sad when ppl that young feel there's no hope.

[northway]

I would assume that it's a leading cause of death amongst youth in most of the developed world. I'm sure it's worse in Korea, but I'm curious exactly how it compares to counties in the West.

[fermentation]

[Dave Chance]

This is what the UN has to say-

�In the USA, the most common substance related to the deaths of young people is alcohol.

�Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among young people, especially road traffic accidents among boys.

�Youth suicide is increasing and is responsible for at least 100,000 deaths each year.

�The five leading causes of death, illness and disability among young men are depression, traffic accidents, alcohol use, war and schizophrenia.

�The five leading causes of death, illness and disability among young women are depression, obstructed labour, suicide, chlamydia and iron-deficiency anemia.

http://www.un.org/events/youth98/backinfo/yreport.htm

World Health Org says this-

Key facts
More than 2.6 million young people aged 10 to 24 die each year, mostly due to preventable causes.
About 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 give birth every year.
Young people, 15 to 24 years old, accounted for 40% of all new HIV infections among adults in 2009.
In any given year, about 20% of adolescents will experience a mental health problem, most commonly depression or anxiety.
An estimated 150 million young people use tobacco.
Approximately 430 young people aged 10 to 24 die every day through interpersonal violence.
Road traffic injuries cause an estimated 700 young people to die every day.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs345/en/index.html

My impression is that in the west it's more about the drugs/alcohol/violence/traffic accidents...suicide's always a factor, just seems more pronounced here with one's future depending on entrance exams (themselves somewhat determined by what academies your parents are able to afford).

[Dave Chance]

Interesting article here-

http://blog.keia.org/2012/02/finding-a-lifeline-in-south-korea/

In 2009, a report released by the World Health Organization stated that the suicide rate for South Korea had risen to 31.0 (per 100,000), more than double what it had been only ten years earlier and giving South Korea the second highest suicide rate out of the 107 countries listed by WHO, following only Lithuania. That same year, South Korea also became the country with the highest suicide rate among OECD nations.

But why is it that a nation, ranked 12th in the world by the International Monetary Fund for GDP (PPP), has such high suicide rates compared to its neighbors on the ranking (Mexico at 11th with a rate of 4.2, Spain ranked at 13th with a rate of 7.6)? Furthermore, what steps has and should the South Korean government and mental health organizations take to lower the rate in the future?

[DIsbell]

[Steelrails]

[Julius]

[UknowsI]

When it comes to academical expectations, I feel like there should be more emphasis on a "plan B" if you fail what you or your parents are expecting from you. If you fail to enter a SKY university, the best solution will often be to simply lower your standard one step, go to a tier 2 university and try to do your best in your new situation (Go to SKY for a masters perhaps). This is not only relevant for SKY universities, but can be used at any level. If you are unable to do what is expected of you, simply for for the second best thing.

What I have seen numerous examples of in Korea is that they will instead try to redo the test to reach what is expected of them, but this can often lead to a vicious cycle of failures. If that is not the case, I've seen examples of people considering themselves failures and drop out completely, even though they are still doing well, just not as well as what is expected. This is why I think a feasible but still attractive plan B is so important.

[Julius]

[atwood]

For some reason, Koreans seem to dig stress until they can no longer handle it. The culture here just produces massive amounts of it.