Dear MEL Topic Readers,
South Korea politician blames women for rising male suicides
More people commit suicide in South Korea than in any other
economically developed country. Each month, over 1,000 people kill themselves,
or about 25 suicides per 100,000 people each year, which is much higher than
the average of around 10-11 deaths among 38 developed countries. Suicide rates
are higher among elderly people as they become financially and physically fragile.
Also, men kill themselves twice or more than women do. Poisoning with pesticides
or carbon monoxide, hanging, and bridge jumping are common suicide methods. The Mapo Bridge over the Han River in Seoul is often
called a suicide bridge by locals. The suicide attempts along the river
increased to 1,035 last year from 430 five years earlier, and the proportion of
men rose to 77% from 67%. Recently, a Seoul City councilor claimed that women’s
participation in the workforce had made it harder for men to get jobs and
married, resulting in an increase in male suicides. Since the city councilor
hadn’t provided any scientific proof, his report has been criticized by many. Whether
his opinion is supported by the public or not will be judged in the next
election.
Read the article and learn about the high suicide rate in South Korea.
No comments:
Post a Comment