He was President until 2008 and was caught up in a bribery scandal recently.
His suicide note says:
“I can’t imagine the countless agonies down the road. The rest of my life would only be a burden for others. I can’t do anything because I’m not healthy. I can’t read books, nor can I write. Don’t be too sad. Isn’t life and death all part of nature? Don’t be sorry. Don’t blame anybody. It’s fate. Please cremate me. And please leave a small tombstone near home. I’ve long thought about that.”
That’s really sad. Call me stupid/uninformed, but it OK in Korean society to admit you are having these sorts of thoughts/depression? and get help without being stigmatized? It’s not always easy to get help in Western cultures, but I wonder how it’s different in cultures that put so much emphasis on honor.
Depression is considered a weakness in a lot of Asian cultures, rather than a condition. Most people don’t seek treatment because they don’t consider it something to be treated, but rather to be overcome by strength of will.
