South Korean pop star Goo Hara Photo: IC

Chinese netizens called for more attention to be paid to entertainers' mental health after South Korean pop star Goo Hara was found dead in her apartment in Seoul on Sunday. 

Police said the cause of death is still under investigation, but that "a handwritten note that was pessimistic about her life was found on a living room table." 

Goo's funeral will be held in private, but another venue is being held so fans can pay tribute to her. According to a statement from Goo's agency on Monday, "Fans and members of the press will be able to pay their respects to [Goo Hara] in Hall 1 at St. Mary's Funeral Hall in the Gangnam district starting from 3 pm today to midnight on November 27."

The hashtag for the 28-year-old singer's death reached 1.2 billion views on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo on Tuesday, as hundreds of thousands of Chinese netizens expressed their sorrow over the young woman's death as well as that of her good friend Sulli, a South Korean singer who was also found dead in her home on October 14.

"I would have thought that Sulli's death would make Goo recognize the importance of life, but she died so suddenly. The entertainment industry in South Korea is so terrible. Companies should face this problem and find solutions to protecting artists' physical and mental health," one netizen commented on Sina Weibo. 

After learning of Sulli's death, Goo appeared in a live stream, during which the star, eyes red and swollen from crying, said she would live well for Sulli. 

"It is too terrifying! Sulli has just died, and now her good friend has left! What is wrong with the South Korean entertainment circle? The case must be investigated and an answer given to the public," another netizen wrote on Sina Weibo. 

Cyberbullying 

Hara was once criticized by many netizens after she had a physical altercation with her ex-boyfriend Choi Jong-bum during their breakup. It later turned out that Choi had tried to blackmail the star by threatening to release a sex tape of her. 

After Goo's death, a petition asking for stricter punishments for sexual crimes on the website of the Blue House, the official residence of the South Korean president, amassed more than 100,000 names within its first 24 hours. Currently, the petition has nearly 200,000 signatures, and an important milestone according to South Korean law, the government responds to petitions with more than 200,000 signatures. 

Shi Wenxue, a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy, told the Global Times on Monday that both Goo and Sulli had suffered from depression for a long time. He noted that both were on the receiving end of cyberbullying, which was one of the major reasons behind their depression. 

Shi noted that the specific experiences of the two were different. Sulli often dealt with many negative online comments accusing her of "strange" or "improper" public behavior, while Goo experienced cyberbullying as well as dealt with physical violence and blackmail from her ex-boyfriend. 

"Cyberbullying may not have been the trigger, but it definitely sped things up." Shi said. 

The need for equality

Fan Xiaoqing, an associate professor from the Theater and Film Academy at the Communication University of China, told the Global Times on Monday that the cultural background of Confucianism in South Korea and today's rapidly developing entertainment culture need to reach a balance.

"I think the entertainment companies in South Korea should adjust the way they train stars because the constant news of celebrity deaths suggests that the countries' star-making system is decoupled from society," Fan said. 

On one hand, women shine in the entertainment industry and are crazily pursed by fans. On the other hand, they are required to be traditional women who serve both their husbands and their children in real life. These two cultures are in great conflict, but on one knows how to bridge the gap, Fan added.

According to police statistics, the number of indecent photo cases in South Korea rose from more than 1,110 in 2010 to over 6,600 in 2018, and 80 percent of the victims were women. This indicates that there is still a long way to go when it comes to women's status in South Korean society. 

According to Shi, unless the dignity of women is maintained and their status enhanced, suicides by female singers and actresses will not be able to raise public awareness about mental health in the country.