In the glamorous world of K-pop, a distressing and deeply concerning issue has made its way to the forefront of headlines – the tragic suicides of young idols.
We’ve all heard far too frequently in the entertainment world, especially for those who are in the relentless spotlight, such as K-pop idols, on the mental health challenges they face on their path to stardom.
Most K-pop idols likened their experience to the tremendous pressures they face, scrutiny from the public, and judgment from their record label management.
In 2019, the news surrounding the passing of Choi Jin-ri, better known as Sulli from girl group f(x), shocked the world and the K-pop industry.
At just 25 years old, Sulli stood as one of the most prominent and celebrated figures in the Korean entertainment scene, especially coming from SM Entertainment, one of the most renowned entertainment agencies that manages groups such as Girls Generation, Exo, and Super Junior.
Netflix Documentary Persona: Sulli Reveals Dark Side of Being a K-Pop Idol
In a newly released Netflix documentary titled Persona: Sulli, the then-25-year-old K-pop star shared some insights into her life as an idol and how she felt to be treated as a celebrity in the public eye.
The interview was conducted in 2019 and was still in production when Sulli tragically took her own life on 14 October 2019 at the tender age of 25.
“Being a K-pop idol is the worst,” she said.
She said that celebrities don’t get treated like regular people in the entertainment world. For her, it often felt like she was being moulded into something others wanted her to be.
Without prompting, Sulli candidly shared her personal experiences with the interviewer, expressing her belief that people often fail to see celebrities as genuine human beings.
She recounted how she was initially labelled a “product” when entering the entertainment industry.
This label came with the expectation that she should strive to be the “finest, top-quality product” in the eyes of the public.
This eventually caused Sulli to grapple with the constant anxiety of potentially losing her “product value”.
As the conversation continued, she drew an analogy, likening herself to a neglected puppet, even when utterly exhausted and drained.
Blamed Herself for the Pressures Faced
Sulli was later asked about her coping mechanisms for handling the stress that accompanies celebrity life.
She revealed that she could only find solace in “blaming” herself to deal with the immense pressure she faced as an idol.
“The only time I felt in control was when I was… when I was giving myself pain. The only thing I could ever control was to blame myself and put myself down,” she shared.
Sulli was further asked whether she believed the blame shouldn’t rest solely on her, understanding that the root of the problem might lie within the system she was a part of.
Speaking in tears, Sulli said: “It was not an option for me… When I thought for myself for the first time and expressed how I was suffering, all these burdens on my shoulders… No, I couldn’t think of it that way. It wasn’t allowed.”
Even when she mustered the courage to voice her challenges, Sulli felt that the “system” was unlikely to change.
She recounted a particularly painful experience when she opened up about her suffering, only to be gaslit by being told she shouldn’t feel a certain way about things.
Killed Herself by Hanging in 2019
On 14 October 2019, Sulli passed away after she was found hanging in her house in Seoul.
According to the Seongnam Sujeong Police Station, Sulli was found dead by her manager that afternoon in her house. The manager has tried to contact her and couldn’t reach her, and therefore reportedly visited her home.
Korean police said she suffered from severe depression at the time and had faced cyberbullying, leading to her death.
A month later, Sulli’s close friend Goo Hara, too, took her own life.
You can catch the documentary Persona: Sulli on Netflix here.
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