A high school senior was found dead Tuesday at a high school near Seoul, in an apparent suicide prompted by poor grades.

The teenage boy, whose identity was withheld by authorities, was found hanged in the bathroom of his school in Bundang, Gyeonggi-do.

He left what seems to be a suicide note to his parents, saying “I’m sorry I fell short of your expectations.” It was reported that he had been deeply concerned about his faltering grades.

The boy also left a note to his friend, contents of which were not disclosed.

Police are conducting a further investigation to determine the exact cause of his death.

The pressure for high school seniors in Korea to perform well academically is notoriously high.

Students hoping to be accepted at a college must take a scholastic ability test called Suneung in November, a college admissions test that is equivalent to the SAT in U.S. But for Koreans, the pressure to do well on college entrance test is generally greater than that of Americans.

In Korea, government officials run extra buses on the day Suneung is held. Police cars and motorcycles give rides to unfortunate students who are late for the crucial exam.

Emphasis on Suneung is so great that some high school seniors suffer from what is dubbed “Gosam-byung (high school senior sickness).” This refers to various mental and physical illness triggered by the stress brought on by Suneung.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)



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고등학생, 유서 남기고 학교 화장실서...


21일 오후 9시46분께 경기도 성남시 분당구의 한 고등학교 3층 화장실에서 이 학교 3학년 A군이 목을 매 숨진 채 발견됐다.

A군 책상에서는 ‘기대에 미치지 못해 미안하다’는 내용의 부모에게 보내는 유서 와 친구에게 보내는 유서가 발견됐다.

A군은 중상위권을 유지해 오던 성적이 최근 떨어지자 고민해온 것으로 알려졌다.

경찰은 A군이 스스로 목숨을 끊은 것으로 보고 정확한 사망원인을 조사하고 있다.





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