told classmates he would kill himself "in a joking manner"

[FBM]

This is just fucked up on so many levels, not just the poor writing skills of the journalist.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/na ... 44229.html

High Schooler Commits Suicide After Being Punished

A 17-year old high school student in southern Kwangju City committed suicide by hanging after being punished by a teacher, JoongAng Ilbo reported Saturday.

The male student was flogged on his foot for about 110 times along with another classmate Thursday evening for being "absent without notification" for two hours during self-study session, by a 28-year-old female teacher.

The teacher is known to be a daughter of the school principal. She began to work full-time this year, after teaching part-time for a few years previously at the same institution.

The school, just like many other Korean high schools, requires students to study in school until 10 p.m. on weekdays.

After the punishment, the deceased told some of his classmates that he would kill himself "in a joking manner," the police said.

After returning home that night, the student chatted with his friends online and watched television, before he went outside.

Students in the school told the investigators that the degree of punishment the student received actually "wasn't too harsh" compared to the "usually very harsh punishment." The police are further investigating the case, focusing on how much influence the punishment had on the student's decision to kill himself.

[Feck]

They beat peoples feet , thats a bit severe.Keeping kids in school in the evening until 10pm is a great idea they should do that in Britain keep the hordes of little animals off the street .

[Feck]

Suicides per 100,000 people per year[1] Country Males Females Total pop. Year
Lithuania 68.1 12.8 38.6 2005
Belarus 63.3 10.3 35.1 2003
Russia 58.1 9.8 32.2 2005
Slovenia 42.1 11.1 26.3 2006
Hungary 42.3 11.2 26.0 2005
Kazakhstan 45.0 8.1 25.9 2005
Latvia 42.0 9.6 24.5 2005
South Korea 29.6 14.1 21.9 2006
Globally 8th higher than Japan,IS it the pressure to be succesful that drives people to this ?

[FBM]

I'm surprised my students are as emotionally well-adjusted as they...well, seem to be, anyway. Maybe growing up in a potential ground zero thickens their skin some.

[Feck]

Is Korean society as driven as Japanese ?

[FBM]

Is Korean society as driven as Japanese ?

I remember reading recently that they work more hours per day or week than any other OECD country. When I talk to my Korean friends about their work, it's shocking how much time they put in for no overtime pay. By comparison, my contract only requires 18 hrs/wk, and overtime (both plentiful and optional) pays about USD 40/hr, so I've learned to keep my mouth tightly shut about that topic. I feel sorry for them.