I understand that people feel pressure through their jobs. That's just natural. But the pressure doesn't make somebody kill themselves. A lack of stress relief besides multiple bottles of Soju hurts. Also, while the article doesn't mention it, it's important to consider that Korean society STILL condones suicides as a way out of stress. If I'm wrong, please fill me in. But in my personal experience, suicide has never been seen as an "acceptable" way out.
From the article:
'But the worrisome fact is that only a handful of workers struggling from pressure at work vent stress in healthy fashion, for example through outdoor pursuits, experts say.
Only 14.8 percent of the respondents said they relax through outdoor activities.
Nearly 50 percent of male respondents chose drinking alcohol and smoking as the favorite way to unwind, the survey showed. The most sought-after means to relax for women was chatting with friends.
"People should change their mindset," Professor Oh Jin-tak at Hallim University in Wonju, Gangwon Province. "It's an undeniable trend that the competition in this society is getting fiercer and will become even tougher. So the first thing people should know is that winning in a contest by outperforming rivals does not necessarily mean the winner will be happy."'
After former President Roh moo-hyun commited suicide in May, corruption charges he was facing were dropped. That just screams of society saying, "Oh, you chose to kill yourself? Well, then obviously you had it rough. But now, because of that, you're A-okay in our book."
I know suicide is a hot-button issue in Korea, as well as other Asian countries. And from what my Korean friends say, most average Koreans wouldn't consider this as a way out. But it certainly seems to be the case for high-profile Koreans, which unfortunately can influence the average guy and girl doing it as well. It's a vicious cycle right now.
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