(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on March 21) - Suicide of Actress

The death of young actress Jang Ja-yeon has sent shockwaves throughout the country not only because it was suicide but also because she was seen as a victim of exploitation. Her death seemed to be cast aside as another suicide case driven by depression. But, police investigations have begun to reveal that there is a
much more shocking story behind her tragedy.

Jang, 30, hanged herself at her home in Bundang, just south of Seoul, March 7. Of
course, the suicide itself was shocking news as the actress had just started
enjoying fame from her supporting role in the popular KBS TV drama, "Boys Over
Flowers." Her family members said she suffered from depression, one of the
typical causes of suicide. And the police were on the verge of concluding the
case. But that was not the true story.
Her former manager, Yoo Jang-ho, claimed that there were "more specific reasons"
behind the starlet's death, making public her alleged handwritten letters sent to
him last month. It was surprising to read that Jang's letters disclosed that she
was beaten and forced to serve drinks, act as an escort at golf matches and have
sex with several program directors, media executives and CEOs of large
businesses.
There still exists doubt about why she wrote the letters that look like
statements in preparation for litigation. Thus, police have to conduct a thorough
investigation into the case in order to get to the bottom of it. It is hard to
rule out the possibility that Jang wrote the letters in cooperation with Yoo, who
has a legal dispute with her last entertainment agency. Yoo once belonged to the
agency and left to start with his own firm. It was also reported that Yoo had
tried to sign her to his firm.
But, Kim Sung-hoon, head of Jang's last agency, was quoted as claiming that the
letters were fabricated, adding that Yoo made up the letters out of his
disgruntlement over four criminal and civil lawsuits filed against him. It is not
desirable to jump to a quick conclusion since a police investigation is still
under way to determine what was the real cause of her suicide.
What's for certain is that the showbiz community is again hit by allegations
about corruption and exploitation. In fact, show business has long been shadowed
by undue power wielded by program directors of broadcasting companies and
managers of promotional agencies. It has been frequently reported that
entertainment agencies offered bribes and sexual favors to program directors in a
bid to help their entertainers appear on TV dramas and programs. It has also been
common for agencies to exploit their entertainers under ``slave contracts.''
That is, there has been a ``food chain'' preying on singers, actors and
actresses, fashion models and other entertainers. As is shown in Jang's letters,
no one can deny that a large number of entertainers, especially newcomers, are
usually subject to exploitation by their agencies and program directors. Female
entertainers are often allegedly forced to have sex with so-called showbiz VIPs.
Fiercer competition among entertainment agencies and entertainers' excessive
desire for quick fame are partly to blame for the rampant corruption and
exploitation. We hope Jang's death serves as a catalyst to cut the exploitative
chain. Korean pop culture has created a boom among Asian people since the 1990s.
But it is impossible to keep the boom if the entertainment industry is mired in
corruption and exploitation. It's time for the industry to be reborn as a true
creator of pop culture through fair competition and good practice.
(END)