Ghaziabad girls' suicide: Why self-harm games gain traction in Korea

An incident in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where three minor sisters — aged 12, 14 and 16 — jumped to their deaths from the ninth floor of their apartment, has raised serious questions about teenage mental health, as well as why Korean culture is often linked to online toxicity and self-harm. It is a diary entry, allegedly made by the victims, that leads us to ask why.

The girls reportedly wrote in their diary that they loved Korean culture and mentioned their likings, such as K-Pop culture, Korean movies, Korean music, Korean short films, Korean shows and Korean series. Initially, there were reports that the minors were addicted to an online task-based game described as a "Korean love game", however, the police ruled it out.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nimish Patil said the victims were influenced by Korean culture. He also said the family had banned mobile phones for some days for the minors.

The problem in point is seemingly a mix of obsession with a culture, influenced by it, and vulnerability among teenagers. While self-harm challenges do exist globally, they have, in the past, found particular traction in South Korea. Even the Blue Whale Challenge became very popular in South Korea, though its origins were claimed to be in Russia.

It raises questions about why this happens.

We begin by stating that the idea isn't to blame any culture or phenomenon. We understand that most times, in cases of self harm, it's more than one single factor that works as the trigger.

While "self-harm games" keep surfacing from time to time from different parts of the world, South Korea has often been a hotspot where such trends gain traction — one example being the Eraser Challenge.

Eraser Challenge was a viral trend in the early and mid-2010s, in which participants repeatedly rubbed an eraser on their skin to "erase their skin", to test their pain tolerance. Participants, mostly school children, could be seen with abrasions and cuts on their skin. From the US, the UK, to South Korea, the trend picked up everywhere, prompting teachers to ask parents to check for scars on their children's bodies.

Online search for such trends shows Google and Bing directing users to helpline numbers and research material, but remnants of old Reddit threads suggest that such games were trending in South Korea nearly a decade ago. But the question here is: why do these toxic challenges gain traction in South Korea?

WHY SOUTH KOREAN CULTURE APPEALS TO INDIAN YOUTHS?

India, despite its large and growing Korean fandom, has largely stayed away from these trends, though sporadic cases surface from time to time.

The minors from Ghaziabad left behind a diary with sorry notes, a crying caricature drawing, and messages. Scribbles on the wall inside the building were found that read, "I am very, very alone. My life is very, very alone."

Reports also say the girls portrayed themselves as Korean princesses.

The reasons for such influence could be South Korea's distinct digital culture that appeals to Indian teenagers and young adults — as it does in the West as well — and the way online platforms feed on the isolation and vulnerability among young users.

It must be noted that South Korea itself does not create or promote challenges that encourage self-harm as part of its culture, but it's where these games get popular. The reasons are many.

KOREAN EDUCATION SYSTEM, COMPETITION, ADD TO STRESS

The education system in South Korea is notoriously rigorous. Students endure long hours of study, almost as much as a civil services aspirant in India, just to get through school and college exams.

The long study hours extend into cram schools, known as "hagwons", to prepare for the high-stakes College Scholastic Ability Test, known as the "Suneung". Reports suggest over 78% of Korean students attend "hagwons".

Notably, the Suneung, is a single nine-hour test that largely determines university admission.

So, there is immense pressure on teens from parents, teachers, and society at large.

According to a report from the Journal of Global Health Reports, 2023, middle- and high-school students in South Korea suffer greatly from severe mental health issues such as suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety, which is because of "complex college admissions policies and overloaded after-school private education", with many spending 6–9 hours studying on weekends and getting far less than the recommended sleep.

Mental health problems, therefore, affect young adults too, but just like Indian society, there is stigma attached to discussing problems like depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

A Ballard Centre for Social Impact analysis from Brigham Young University, 2023, noted that "cultural stigma prevents individuals from receiving treatment", even as academic stress contributes to about 12% of adolescent suicides in South Korea.

CONFUCIANISM, PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY IN KOREA CONTRIBUTE TO STRESS

Studies and reports by organisations such as the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), the OECD, and newspapers like The Korea Herald have, over the years, talked about South Korea placing way too much importance on traditional values like respecting family, working very hard, and maintaining group harmony. It is all rooted in Confucianism — a philosophy from East Asia that stresses obedience to elders, loyalty to family, discipline, social order, and putting collective responsibility above individual desires.

These sources suggest that young people, especially women, face heavy pressure from a male-dominated social structure, long work hours, and financial stress. Together, they say, this creates high levels of stress and mental health problems, especially among people in their 20s and 30s.

Notable, a peer-reviewed research paper on socioeconomic factors associated with suicidal behaviours in South Korea said, "Suicide rates in South Korea are among the highest in the world."

EVEN K-POP STARS ARE UNDER IMMENSE PRESSURE

One might think that life of an ordinary citizen is stressful in South Korea, but it also holds true for K-Pop idols loved by millions globally.

K-pop stars, despite their glamorous public image, operate under highly controlled and rigorous schedules managed by their entertainment agencies.

The agencies dictate nearly every aspect of a K-Pop idol's life, from training and promotions to personal habits, through long-term contracts that prioritise group success and brand image over individual freedom.

Trainees and debuted idols, who live in dormitories, follow gruelling daily routines — starting as early as 4-6 am for workouts, followed by hours of vocal, dance, language, and media training that can extend until midnight or later, six or seven days a week.

They also have strict and absurd rules like no-dating clauses that sometimes last years. Their diets are monitored, and weight is checked regularly.

It shows that high stress cuts across all sections of society in South Korea.

SUPER FAST INTERNET OFFERS EASY ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA, RESPITE FROM PRESSURE

Living in a country with a high-stress environment, combined with one of the highest internet speeds, can become a recipe for disaster, as doomscrolling and online gossip are not where things stop.

Smartphone usage in South Korea is also extremely high, with ownership near-universal — around 95%–98% of people own smartphones — and over 70% of users have high-end devices, especially among young adults, according to a report in Seulz, a Seoul-based publication focusing on the Korean tech scene.

Government surveys by South Korea's National Information Society Agency (NISA), which tracks digital habits, show that smartphone overdependence affects a large number of adolescents. According to its annual Smartphone Overdependence Survey, around 37% to 40% of Korean children and teenagers aged 10-19 are considered overly dependent on their smartphones.

Amid this, Korean youths have access to a slew of online games and social media challenges. While most are not toxic, such harmful trends can surface from time to time. Today, these games can be likened to contagions. They're born from a fleeting idea, spread quickly, and latch on to vulnerable spaces. Korea's high-pressure, high-stress social environment often provides fertile ground for them.

It must be noted that there are also many online games in South Korea that focus on romance and storytelling rather than violence or "tasks".

In these games, players interact with fictional characters, make choices, and slowly build emotional connections, often in a dating-style format. In such high-pressure and a highly patriarchal society, the games give players a sense of companionship and validation in a fictional setting.

These games are mostly a harmless escape and don't promote self-harm or risky behaviour.

While this may sound like the Korean culture is being blamed for creating a breeding ground for such challenges and toxic fandoms, it is more about what happens when young, vulnerable minds in high-stress environments are exposed to unchecked internet access and algorithms designed to give them a dopamine hit.