Experts warn of copycat suicides

The death of former president Roh Moo-hyun may lead to copycat suicides on a massive scale, some experts warn.

Since Roh`s death shook the nation last Saturday, suicides or suicide attempts have become more common all over the country, according to the police.

Roh, who served as Korea`s 16th president from 2003-2008, committed suicide in Bongha village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.

His retired life had been marred by a prosecutors` investigation of him, his close acquaintances and family members. He was called in for questioning last month on allegations of bribery during his time in office.



Early Sunday morning, a 38-year-old man surnamed Han tried to kill himself by slitting his wrist on the mountain path near Owl`s Rock on Mount Bongha, where the late president died, said police officials.

Once he started bleeding heavily, Han called for an ambulance and was transferred to a nearby hospital. He has now regained consciousness and is no longer in life-threatening condition, officials said.

Another 55-year-old man surnamed Shin called the police on Sunday morning to notify them of his plan to commit suicide over Roh`s death, according to the Gwangyang Police Station in South Jeolla Province.

The police tracked Shin`s mobile phone location and found him late that evening by a reservoir, attempting to end his life for the second time that day, after a first attempt that earlier ended in failure.

Others have committed suicide since, though they had not clearly cited him as the reason.

A 34-year-old man named Kim was found late Saturday night after hanging himself in his room, according to the Gwangju police.

Kim`s family said that he wrote a note on his computer just as Roh did soon after he saw the news on television, and left the house. Kim had been heavily in debt for some time.

Others have fainted or are reporting mental illness due to the unexpected tragedy.

Amid the grief, experts warned of the possibility of copycat suicides, referred to the Werther Effect.

This refers to a phenomenon in which people identity with celebrities who commit suicide and follow their example.

Such deaths occurred last year following the suicides of actress Choi Jin-sil and actor Ahn Jae-hwan.

Psychiatric experts advised that people suffering from depression should be watched closely, especially during the coming week, as the Werther Effect is usually the strongest during the 10 days following a high-profile suicide.

They also expressed worries of a possible "chain of suicides."

"Recently, many citizens, especially teenagers, have been tempted by collective suicides," said an employee of a suicide prevention center. "I fear that the former president`s tragic suicide may push them further to make such extreme decisions."

Medical experts called for extra precautions to prevent suicides from admirers of Roh and people suffering from depression.

By Bae Hyun-jung



(tellme@heraldm.com)