However, the culture of silence around mental health extends to South Korean society at large. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, South Korea has consistently had one of the highest suicide rates among developed countries, prompting its government to take steps to tackle the issue.

Euny Hong, the Korean-American author of The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation is Conquering the World with Pop Culture, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the increasing pressures of being a K-pop star from their record labels and the public, combined with the stigmas around mental illness in South Korea, will continue to drive its idols over the edge.