Copycat-suicides fear in Korea after K-pop stars Cha In-ha, Sulli, Goo Hara die in the space of two months

Fans were left shocked by the sudden deaths of the Korean celebrities, raising fears for their mental health

There are concerns young people in Korea may take their own lives following widely publicised suicides, a phenomenon known as the ‘Werther effect’

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Cha In-ha. The death of the young actor-singer, following the suspected suicides of K-pop stars Sulli and Goo Hara, has raised concerns in Korea that the accompanying publicity could trigger young people to take their own lives.

Published: 2:30am, 6 Dec 2019Updated: 3:18am, 6 Dec 2019

By Jung Hae-myoung

The death of South Korean actor-singer Cha In-ha has raised concerns that the country is witnessing the copycat-suicide phenomenon known as the “Werther effect”.

Named after the protagonist of the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, it refers to the phenomenon of people taking their own lives following widely publicised suicides.

Cha’s death on Tuesday followed the suspected suicides of Sulli, a former member of K-pop girl group f (x), on October 14, and of her friend and fellow singer Goo Hara, on November 24.

Cha was appearing in the MBC prime time television drama Love with Flaws as the second brother of the main character Joo Seo-yeon (played by Oh Yeon-seo).

Sulli, a former member of K-pop girl group f (x), died on October 14.

“We are very sorry to tell you that Cha In-ha left this world on December 3. It is heartbreaking to deliver this news to all the people who have shown him love and support,” said Fantagio, his management company. It also requested the media to refrain from reporting anything based on assumptions or rumours.