A suspected suicide pact among three teenage girls in Busan has reignited urgent calls for education reform, shining a harsh light on the crushing academic and career pressures faced by South Korea’s youth.
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Public criticism has centred on the country’s fiercely competitive university entrance system, widely blamed for thrusting children into a relentless academic race that begins as early as kindergarten.
The latest tragedy unfolded early on Saturday, when the bodies of three second-year students – aged 16 to 17 – were discovered at the base of a residential tower in the southern port city. All three majored in dance at a local arts high school.
Surveillance footage captured the girls riding a lift together to the 20th and highest floor – from where, police believe, they jumped. Handwritten notes found at the scene suggest that the classmates and close friends died by suicide.
Investigators say the teens were under intense academic and career pressure. “All three left notes indicating they were overwhelmed by academic stress and uncertainty about their future,” a police detective source told This Week in Asia.
Police have ruled out foul play or bullying, and noted that there was no evidence the girls had consumed alcohol or drugs.