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Since Lee Sung Kyun first appeared on TV in 2001, he has captivated viewers with his gentle tone and charming smile. His filmography spanned genres, from heart-breaking dramas to hard-hitting thrillers. He received international fame and acclaim for his starring role in Parasite, a searing satire of South Korea’s devastating inequality, winning Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars and becoming the first non-English film to do so. received the award. Most recently, the science fiction series “Dr. Brain.”
So when Lee was found dead in a parked car in central Seoul on December 27, hearts around the world sank. Lee died of an apparent suicide at the age of 48. Before his death, Lee was under police investigation on suspicion of taking illegal drugs.
The discourse surrounding his death remains superficial, especially for those living outside South Korea. Understandably, movie lovers around the world have been and will continue to be shocked. We all regret such a tragic loss of a great talent. And those who read a little more closely will find that Lee was the latest death toll in South Korean President Yun Seok-Yeong’s “war on drugs.” But that’s not all.
French sociologist Emile Durkheim assumed that each suicide is never an isolated individual event, but rather a manifestation and result of a particular society’s “collective tendencies” or “collective passions”; Individuals are both participants in society and victims of the social customs and trends of that society.Who is Durkheim? defined This is because “fatal” suicide involves cases in which an individual is under such unbearable psychological pressure that they are unable to envision a better future.
This concept can also be applied to “social murder.” This refers to death or suicide caused by social institutions or institutions that force suffering individuals to end their lives. Scholars often bring up this term when discussing economic policy ignoring socially vulnerable people, reckless policy Lee’s suicide fits this mold, which exacerbates climate change.
So what has South Korea done to Mr. Lee and all the others who have been stigmatized as drug users?
The entire Korean society, the people, the media, and social institutions humiliated Mr. Lee and socially buried him. First, the police leaked an internal investigation into Lee to the press in October 2023.Korean criminal law Forbidden Publicly disclosing information about suspected crimes before formal charges are filed. This is to prevent undue public attention and stigmatization of the suspect, especially keeping in mind the possibility that the internal investigation may find insufficient evidence and the case may be dropped. However, police and media have often ignored this principle.
Unsubstantiated rumors and speculation were flying around. Police and media were in lockstep, and the crowd cheered them on. People began to express their disappointment. They called Lee a hypocrite, a “drug criminal” hiding behind the mask of a smiling father. They pried into Lee’s private life and spied on his family. All kinds of daily newspapers and social media channels covered him. Even national broadcasters got on board with this trend.
The fundamental principle of “innocent until proven guilty” was little more than a doormat. The retailer removed Lee’s posters from its store windows. Companies that Lee supported were already considering suing him for damaging their brand image. Movie studios were even debating whether to release his new film.
They didn’t care that Mr. Lee had tested negative on multiple drug tests. They didn’t care that he was a victim of extortion. (Mr. Lee admitted to police that on one occasion he took drugs provided by one of his acquaintances, without considering the possibility that they were illegal drugs.) Another acquaintance threatened to reveal the incident to the public and kept him quiet. demanded money in exchange.)
Despite some instances of his questionable nighttime pastimes, his case would likely have been dropped, given that the drug test came back negative. The whole mess didn’t justify Lee’s downfall. Even if he was a drug user, this should have been a cause for sympathy and assistance.
Rather, Lee was beaten. The people have already held a trial in their hearts and sentenced him to death.
Koreans have a strong aversion to illegal drugs. Drug abusers are stigmatized and ostracized, with no hope of redemption. The press followed Lee everywhere, as if reporting the end of his career and his life. Society showed him a bleak future, which became a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Parallel to public antipathy toward people who abuse drugs or are suspected of using drugs, there are also government policies, judicial systems, and health care systems. It specifically targeted Mr. Lee of the Korean Broadcasting and Communications Commission, a government agency that reviews broadcast content. expressed The desire to “ban drug criminals from appearing on TV.”
The language adopted by both the people and the government is at the heart of the problem. Drug users are viewed and portrayed as criminals rather than patients in need of social reintegration and medical rehabilitation. Once someone is labeled a criminal, they must be immediately removed from society and taken to prison.
2022, President Yoon Created Special Committee on Drug Eradication, consisting of 840 experts. He also more than doubled the budget to fight drug-related crime.They are round By 2023, the number will increase by more than 20,000, double the number before Yun’s term.
While it is important to identify the sources of drug trafficking and eradicate turf wars, the majority of those arrested are simply users suffering from addiction.But, for example, he says that in 2022, the prosecutor’s office will entrusted Only 14 cases were treated. This shows how much law enforcement is focused on identifying and prosecuting drug users instead of providing opportunities for treatment and reintegration.
In a social framework in which drug addiction is primarily seen as a crime rather than a medical condition that requires treatment, the logic is that the more addicts the police can bring to justice, the better. The more severe the punishment, the more justice they feel. They perpetuate the false impression that society is getting cleaner, when in fact drug use has declined by about 50 percent over the past five years. Ended stand in court again.
On the other hand, the Yun administration cut out Drug addiction treatment budgets have been cut by 85 percent. Hospitals treating addicts had to: shutter Services cannot be provided due to lack of government funding. The purpose of the remaining funds is to consultingnot professional treatment, awareness campaign.
The public humiliation dismantled Lee’s 20-year legacy in one day. The police burned him overnight for 19 hours. He faced complete social ostracism and stigma.Lee Said In his suicide note, his wife said, “There was no other choice.”
If society had put in place a pathway to accept him, provide him with proper medical care, and welcome him back to his career, Lee would still be with us. Every victim of addiction deserves the chance Lee was never given.