Tragedy shows dark side of competitive and brutal K-pop industry

The tragic suicide of SHINee member Kim Jong-hyun (known as Jonghyun) has left fans across the globe heartbroken, mourning the loss of such a young talent.

His death will have many thinking about the notoriously competitive, brutal K-pop industry and wondering if it is a healthy development in Korean society.

It also touches on the issue of possible correlation between a competitive culture and suicide, which obviously has implications for Hong Kong.

Locally, the cutthroat competition for university placement and job interviews is embraced by students and graduates as a sure-fire way to climb the social ladder, be successful and gain happiness. The notion that standard of living hinges on the level of academic qualifications is so ingrained in the minds of locals that few question the validity of the argument that a university degree guarantees a decent income.

Still, children have been taught since they were young that excelling academically is the path they should take to be successful. This mentality raises questions: who and what define success? Is success sustainable if it involves only wealth and fame? It’s obvious that the word “success” should take on a broader meaning than a narrow definition of earning a lot of money.

Every year, society has churned out countless meek people who can score high marks on tests but have no idea how to communicate with people or lead a project.