Teaching in Korea gives you an enormous amount of joy — and occasionally a glimpse of something much harder to sit with.
I decided to write this as a follow up to a comment on the Hagwon Blog. In September of 2008, The Korean Times wrote an article saying that the suicide rate in Korea has doubled in one decade making Korea the number one country in the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development. It says that there are 24.8 suicides per 100,000 people (compared to 10.1 in the US), 2 male suicides for every one female suicide. Suicide is the 4th largest cause of death and the top cause of death of people in their 20’s and 30’s and the 2nd biggest reason among teenagers.
Jang Ja-yeon, pictured above was a 26 year old actress who was on a great show, Boys Before Flowers, see the blog, who committed suicide in the middle of the shows filming.
When it comes to my students, they are quite a bit younger but they are still exhausted and over worked. As per suicide, I truly hope that my kids are smart enough to just take a break or find an outlet for their stress.
Q: Why is the suicide rate so high in South Korea? A: South Korea’s suicide rate has been linked by researchers to the intense pressure of its achievement culture — particularly the enormous academic and professional expectations placed on young people from a very early age. The pressure to perform in school, gain university entrance and succeed professionally creates a level of stress that mental health infrastructure has historically struggled to address. Cultural stigma around seeking help has also been identified as a significant barrier to treatment.
Q: How does the Korean education system affect student mental health? A: Korean students face some of the most demanding academic schedules in the world. Long school days followed by hours at private academies called hagwons leave many students exhausted and with little time for rest, creativity or unstructured play. As a teacher here we see the fatigue in our students’ faces daily and it is impossible not to feel concerned for their wellbeing beneath the remarkable academic results.
Q: What is being done to address mental health in South Korea? A: South Korea has made increasing efforts in recent years to address its mental health crisis including expanded counseling services in schools, public awareness campaigns and reduced stigma around seeking professional help. Progress is slow but the conversation is happening more openly than it was even a decade ago which is an important first step.
Q: How does Korean achievement pressure compare to other countries? A: South Korea consistently ranks among the most high pressure education systems in the world alongside Japan and Singapore. The concept of education as the primary pathway to success and social status is deeply embedded in Korean culture creating a competitive environment that begins in early childhood and intensifies significantly through the teenage years.
Q: What can teachers do to support student wellbeing in Korean schools? A: Creating a classroom environment where students feel genuinely seen as people rather than just performers is one of the most meaningful things a foreign teacher can offer. Humor, creativity, encouragement and genuine human connection — things that fall outside the pressure of grades and test scores — can provide students with a small but meaningful respite from the weight they carry daily.
***If anyone reading this post is struggling please know that help is available. In the US the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. In South Korea the Korea Suicide Prevention Hotline is available at 1393. 🙏***
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Ahh, this somewhat answers my comment on your previous post (as well as your reply there). I know that Daul Kim was also another prominent suicide in the past couple of months. It's so sad. That people feel that amount of pressure and see no escape other than to take their lives. I too hope that your students find other outlets. Standard of living is so high these days, but at what cost? We are all better educated, vaccinated, and remunerated, but we're also for the most part more tired, stressed, and overworked in order to keep up with our increased standard of life.Sometimes it seems like a vicious circle!
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it seems very often i hear about suicide. sometimes i cringe when my students break down and cry when i give them detention and they tell me all that they have to do, but school rules are so strict i cant help it.i feel personally that our life here is much less stressed than it ever was back home, when we talk to friends and family, sometimes I wish i could give them a little of the peace we have found living here away from the bills and standards of living in florida.
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