More on Choi Jin-shil’s suicide
This is all very sad, particularly because Choi Jin-shil seems to have been very depressed, but not to the extent that anybody around her could have foreseen such dire actions.
(Sports Chosun has a lovely collection of photos over the years chronicling Choi Jin-shil’s career.)
The police have ruled Choi’s death a suicide — while there has been no explicit suicide note found, her last words to friends seem to have hinted at her intention (although this is all seen in hindsight, of course). The medical examiner determined no external wounds, no sign of murder or foul play. A memo was found, which didn’t contain any concrete details indicating suicide, but showed that she was greatly affected by Ahn Jae-hwan’s death and the subsequent turmoil.
She was said to have expressed prior to her death: “I’m saddened at the people of this world. I don’t understand why they’d torment someone with accusations of moneylending or whatnot.”
Choi Su-jong, Jung Jun-ho
Friends and former co-stars are in shock; her co-star from the 1992 drama Jealousy, Choi Su-jong, “conveys his utmost condolences and grief.” Seeing some hateful replies online that were posted in response to the news of her death, he deplored, “How can anyone act like this?”
Apparently the day before her death, Choi had spoken to her Last Scandal co-star Jung Jun-ho over the phone and told him, “What’s wrong with this world?” When it was falsely circulated that she’d lent Ahn Jae-hwan money (she’s a good friend of his widow), leading to his suicide, some people even called her a ruthless loan shark and implied she had a role in his murder. (The murder rumors are spurious and unfounded.)
When asked on the 2nd if those words indicated that she’d decided to end her life, Jung was unable to speak for a long moment. He then said, “With our upcoming drama [Last Scandal season 2], I had been talking with Jin-shil regularly on the phone. ‘Jun-ho, how can the world accuse me of being a loan shark? This isn’t happening, is it?’ she kept asking.”
Jung had told her, “It must be upsetting, but it’s a stress that famous people have to put up with, isn’t it? Time will take care of things. You told the police the whole truth in the investigation, didn’t you?” However, he added, “I never could have even dreamed that she would do something so extreme.”
The clusterf*ck around Choi’s home
Choi Jin-shil’s manager was completely shocked at the news: “I didn’t get that feeling from her at all.”
Choi had made her last phone call at about 4 am on the morning she was discovered, to a friend who says, “I think she had been drinking. She lamented over her burdens for a long while.” As her mother found her body a mere two hours later (at approximately 6:15 am), this friend was likely the last person who spoke to Choi.
The friend continued, “Because it was such a late hour, after listening to her grievances for a long time, I told her, ‘Even if only for the sake of your children, be strong. Let’s talk again on a brighter day’ and hung up the phone. I couldn’t even imagine this would happen.”
Actress Kim Hee-sun posted a message on her personal homepage reading: “Beloved unni, please don’t be troubled by people up in heaven and be happy…be well!! I love you…”
The drama that was to be Choi’s next project, Last Scandal Season 2, is now up in the air despite being fairly far along in the planning process. The first season ended in April to much popularity and spawned the word “jumderella” to refer to Choi Jin-shil’s ajumma Cinderella character. The sequel was to reprise Choi and Jung Jun-ho as the two leads; screenplays were in the process of being written and filming to begin in December, to air early next year. At the moment, a production rep said the project will probably be discontinued, although no official decisions have been made.
Paying their respects —
Younger brother Choi Jin-young:
Ex-husband Jo Sung-min, former co-star Ahn Jae-wook (Star in My Heart):
One of Choi Jin-shil’s best friends Jung Sun-hee (Ahn Jae-hwan’s widow):
Another good friend Uhm Jung-hwa:
Good friend Shin Ae, with whom Choi was known to have a sisterly relationship; her children call Shin Ae “aunt.”
Last Scandal co-stars Byun Jung-soo and Jung Woong-in:
Lee Byung-heon and Lee Sora:
Last Scandal of My Life co-star Lee Young-ja, who’d known Choi for more than ten years, was reportedly unable to control her emotions at the funeral location. She cried out, “I’ll die with you” and made odd neck-grasping gestures while others stopped her.
Rose-colored Life co-star Sohn Hyun-joo:
Jo Yeon-woo and Lee Deok-hwa:
Actress Lee Seung-yeon:
Via IS Plus, JoongAng Ilbo, IS Plus, No Cut News, DongA.com
RELATED POSTS
- Choi Jin-shil found dead, indicators point to suicide
- Mourning Ahn Jae-hwan
- Ahn Jae-hwan found dead in apparent suicide
- Extending the Choi family line
Tags: Choi Jin-shil, deaths
I’m still in shock; can’t believe she’s gone.
this is really saddening…especially for her kids!
This is so sad
rip.
Thank you for the quick update. I really appreciate this.
it still does not seem real. thank you esp for the link to sports chosun photos. looking at them, it feels an era truly is no more with her passing.
This is really sad news. My prayers for her little ones.
what a shocking news….it’s unbelievably crazy! i just can’t stop thinking how korean entertainers are so prone to tragedy lately, accidents, suicides, their everywhere! I thought Lee Eon’s death was the last of this but unfurtunately faith has way of playing with people…I just hope she finds peace in death that she never found in life…
depressing news..R.I.P 최진실… i loved her so much in last scandal!
truly very sad at all these deaths.
Ahh I recognized her bro Jin-young from We Got Married. He seems like a really cool person. I feel sad for him and other friends and family.
Jung Sun-hee , Choi’s friend, her husband passed away last month, and now Choi. I can’t help crying seeing her in above picture.
so sad!
Is it me or is the suicide rate for Korean celebrities really high?
It’s very sad.
I hardly believe Last Scandal that I just finished watch not so long ago is also Choi Jin Shil’s last drama. RIP..
I disappear for a few hours and come back to this news?! With all the celebrities deaths that had happened, I have not been this shocked. I was in a short state of disbelief, thinking maybe that the header should have read ‘attempted suicide’ and Choi Jin Shil is in the hospital and all the garbled stuff that goes through your mind when you refuse to believe something.
Choi Jin-shil is one of my favorite actress from the pre-Korean Wave era, she is all so worthy of the ‘versatile’ tag that I love to put on actors (though not many deserves it). I was happy that she was able to seek a satisfying closure to her family problems and looking forward to seeing her give her best in her future roles.
I saw the picture of Lee Byeong-heon, and I thought: he came back for a friend’s wedding to attend another friend’s funeral. Can the world be more wrecked?
I hope no one makes another comment about being irresponsible and being a coward (I understand many will think about her young kids). The degree of desperation that triggers the thought of suicide is beyond anyone’s understanding. To go through the action of murdering yourself is a scary thing, imagine her desperate need to get away from all the malicious rumours.
The media has been let off too easily, if anyone deserves some form of verbal-bashing, it’s them. Famous 1930s Shanghainese actress Ruan Ling-yu famous words before her suicide : 人言可畏 Be fearful of man’s words.
Thank you Choi Jin-shil, for giving us some of the best performances in kdrama world. R.I.P.
I am very sad before the dead of Choi Jin Shil. She is good actress of korea entertainment but unhappiness. I am worry for her two child. They are deprived of mother When so chilhood.
Choi Jin Shil was leaved forever. I hope she will find peacefully in heaven.
To sad for her family!
I too had imagined her such a strong woman, getting through her very public divorce, yet still having such a solid and respected career. When she added her children to her family register and talked of never marrying again, I was thinking she was a great example to women that they can overcome the stigma of divorce and be successful. I guess after going through so much during her divorce, she had no fight left in her to deal with these latest cruel rumors. Choi Jin-shil, I adored you and hate it that your life had to end this way. RIP and God bless your beautiful children. Javabeans, thanks for keeping us updated on all the news.
This is just so heartrending, it makes me sick.
She was such a solid fixture & familiar face–building her career from the grounds up through sheer grit, determination, and love for her family (first, her mother & brother, and then, her children). She wasn’t the most versatile actress, but her relatability quote was unlike anyone else. She was very hard to dislike, and if her talents didn’t woo everyone, her life story certainly did. She wasn’t the coy, elusive star, she was the down-to-earth, next-door neighbor ‘unni,’ then ‘ajumma’ who grew more beautiful & showed more promise with each year. She had such a smile, not one that dazzled, but which just warmed your heart. And it just breaks my heart to think that someone who had lit the screens for some twenty years hit such despair that she couldn’t even hang onto her children any more.
Her name was Jinshil or ‘verity,’ ‘truth,’ and it feels as if we let her down. She seemed like the rare female star who could navigate the tricky waters of fame & celebrity into old age & maturity, and it’s very hard to accept such a spirit just broke.
this is too sad…
so many deaths lately..
[...] Javabeans has posted an update over at her [...]
I heard the news last night, and I’m still in shock. Her poor kids… and poor Jung Sun-Hee has to go through this all over again!! I just hope no more celebrities follow that path.
netizens who drove her to death are to blame. i still can’t believe Choi Jin Shil is gone. this world is truely evil….
This is so sad.. I’m in tears just reading this story/entry..
Its also extremely sad that there’s so many people who love her that are in so much pain that they would want to join Choi Jin Shil too.
condolensces to the family, especially now the two children are without a mother.
This is so, so incredibly sad that I don’t have words for it. The wave of deaths has affected everyone, and if I feel so shitty I simply can’t imagine what these people are going through. It is just so terrible.
I have a deep, dark hatred in my heart for all trolls and all those netizens who make it their business to talk rubbish and spread dirt, who have no humanity and don’t care at all what words they choose or what they say. They will get their due, and I hope they will feel the pain that all those who knew Choi Jin Shil are feeling. That is a vengeful thing to say, but almost all the time you hear about the cruelty thrown out at celebrities and how it has traumatized and affected them, and you wonder where the limit is?! I for one am just sick of it all. I know there was a lot more to add to the situation, and I’m also sorry to hear that she had been drinking, but to spend your life working hard and building your reputation and taking care of your family and friends and then to be blamed for your friend’s death: that has to be just devastating.
One thing I keep thinking: what will happen to Jung Sun Hee? I hope she has people who will help her out of the darkness that these deaths will take her to. It is heart wrenching to think of all she has lost barely a few months after being so happily married, and to live with the burden of all of this.
May they all find peace.
So sad.. can’t even imagine what Jung Sun-hee is going through.. Rip.
[...] To see the whole article click here [...]
this is so unexpected.
My condolences to her children, family and friends.
Hope they will stay strong. Jung Sun-hee please stay strong!
RIP
what a really sad news and sad world we live in…
sometimes we just don’t realise on what we say or do, it hurts others…
let us all take a deep moment and try to be a better person in every single day and every single way, if we can’t do this for ourselves at least do this for our loved ones…
sometimes people call this kind of act a coward, but let’s not judge on anything, let’s take this as a thing to REMIND us not to hurt others intentionally….
REST IN PEACE, may GOD bless you and your 2 children
[...] are saying it looks like a suicide. Choi Jin Shil leaves behind two children. Very sad indeed. source This entry was written by sutukh, posted on October 2, 2008 at 8:47 am, filed under korean celebs [...]
this is so sad. i can’t believe i’m going to read about another actor’s death after Ahn Jae-hwan’s suicide and Lee Eon’s accident. So many died this year. Hope she is the last.
I hate those netizens who posted messages like that against her. Couldn’t they be more understanding? She is just like any other person who has her own problems. She is not perfect and no one deserves to be treated that way. Just because they are hiding behind an assumed name online doesn’t mean that what they did won’t come back to them. There’s always karma you know.
Another good actress gone…she is a loss to the industry.
heart….breaking.
i read on the papers a few weeks ago that a korean girl commited suicide after encountering many threats of cyber bullying - the internet has spilled over to real life.. seems to me that the korean cyberworld is really vicious. looks like koreans have got to solve this problem asap.
i still can’t believe it… it’s just so sad. and to see jung sun-hee’s picture is even sadder. first she loses her husband, and then one of her best friend so soon after.
thanks for the update javabeans.
Completely. Shocked.
[...] For information on Choi Jin Shil’s death and the other recent tragedies: http://www.dramabeans.com/2008/10/more-on-choi-jin-shils-suicide/ [...]
SHOOT. i forgot choi jin young was her younger brother.
i remember when he and shinae came out on radiostar, they also made a phone call to choi jinshil during the recording…… they also talked to her kids……
It amazes me how people could be so heartless as to accuse her of being a loan shark because she lent her money to a close friend. And now after her suicide, people are commenting how she could be so selfish as to leave her kids alone and traumatized. These are netizens who don’t personally know her at all but feel the right to judge her. I am beyond baffled.
I can’t believe her death, I still feel this isn’t real.
Rest In Peace.
Jung Sun-Hee’s picture made me really tear up- the ultimate picture of grief. Having your husband and your friend commit suicide in one month, I hope there is a grief counselor on hand. I want to see her a year from now, able to smile freely.
And I didn’t get how even if she had loaned him money- would it have been a bad thing. Wouldn’t it have helped him pay his other debts. If my friend was in debt, I would have loaned her money.
There were other factors besides cruel netizens pushing her to believe that the only way out was death. However, I do think there need to be some public awareness about getting help when one is depressed and about the cruelty of netizens. I hope these netizens realized that they had pushed someone over the edge- that they had killed someone even if they didn’t wield the murder weapon. I hope they learn from this. I can’t believe her mother had to be the one to find her body- having your child dead first.
my condolences to her friends and family. I hope the children will go with some member of her family and not with the ex-husband who had abused her.
The image of Jung Sun-hee is just heart-breaking. This is so depressing…
This is so.. augh. So heartbreaking… especially that picture of Jung Sunhee crying her heart out. It must be so tough for her…
I really, really hate how extreme netizen’s comments can be. There are always rude, thoughtless people on the internet, but it seems like Koreans are the most ruthless. Even when someone dies or commits suicide, there are stupid blockheads who have the nerve to shoot down that person even more. Are they really that selfish? Just because they’re hiding behind some online username doesn’t mean they can post such heartless comments or make stupid accusations and assumptions. It’s not like they personally know the celebrity and the celebrity’s personal life and troubles. My GOD it pisses me off.
I hope Choi’s family can pull through these difficult times…
you know, i watched “last scandal” because you had raved about it. and really loved the show. that was the first time i’ve seen her act. this news is so sad. rumors can be so hurtful. and the pictures of those grieving makes me want to cry. oh, and her poor children. i’m glad they weren’t the ones who found her.
Seriously, somebody should put Jung Sun-hee on a 24 suicide watch. I’m worried about her.
Choi Jin Shil. I’m speechless. This is devastating, 2 suicides in a month. She seemed like one of the strong ones…I feel really sorry for her kids and her mom. I’ve downloaded Last Scandal but will probably never watch it now. It’s too much for me to take.
Such a tragic loss…..
As for the other comments, If netizens always agreed with each other, then the net would be a very dull place. With that said, I’m one of those evil jerks who think that she was selfish to an extent.
//rant//
Contrary to anyone’s belief, we as people have responsibilities. She had a responsibility to her children (the most important), her family, and her friends (not as important, depending on the type of relationships she had of course). She let them down in ways most people will never comprehend. To me, by committing suicide she pretty much said “F-it” I don’t want to be a responsible person to the people I love and cared about. Don’t get me wrong, it’s VERY sad to hear about this, but I don’t think its fair either to paint her as a perfect angel since there are some many broken pieces that will NEVER get picked up.
//rant off//
omg
man!
what a huge loss!
wow!
omg this is soo sad.
Sad…. Korean celebrities are dropping like flies.. It makes me wonder who’s next… Well, I hope this is the last one.
RIP
wow, this is just saddening; i feel for her two children left behind, they’ll grow up without a mother…and to have Jung Sun-hee go through this all over again, first her husband and now her best friend….be strong Jung Sun-hee!!!!
This is so sad…her poor mother who found her..I can’t even imagine how that felt. And her friends and kids…RIP Choi Jin Shil
Javabeans, I remember reading in one of your past posts about things coming in threes…let’s all hope this is the last one
i hope Jung Sun-hee’s family is carefully watching over her…this is just too much! so much grief in just one month…
*knock on wood*
I have to repeat previous comments about the need for people to watch over Jung Sun Hee. She is in such a fragile state… same goes for Lee Young Ja. Man, I remember so many funny stories about this circle of friends whenever they were guests on talk shows.
It still doesn’t make sense to me that this is how her life has ended. She’s been through hell and back and hell again a couple more times, but any hardship she had to go through, she still managed to make a comeback. Her endless love for her children was also one particular virtue about Choi Jin Shil that everyone knew about. She’s such a strong woman and mother that it’s hard to believe she ended her own life in suicide.
I’m not saying it was cold blooded murder. Maybe she did hang herself, but it wasn’t a voluntary desicion. Maybe not only her life was being threatened, but also the lives of her children, so her only option was to take herself out of the equation. I know it sounds like I’m grasping at straws here, but I kind of refuse to believe this strong, loving mother would ever voluntarily make the decision to end her life.
All I know is, this actress is an icon and her name will forever be written in huge ass letters under the Korean drama syllabus. For me, the end of her life will always carry a bolded question mark, suicide? or some other explanation we’ll never know about?
ETA: I’m getting boxes of tissue lined up when coverage of her funeral starts airing on TV. Choi Jin Shil isn’t just another TV star. She’s one of those big name stars that everyone in Korea knows, from young to old. And not just a friend to many peers, but she’s a sunbae who all the younger actors and actresses look up to. Her death has already made worldwide news. Not just in Asia, but I’ve seen her articles online at BBC, LA Times, Yahoo. Just imagine how shaken up the people in Korea are. It’s a nationwide loss.
Choi Jin-shil lead a hard life-fame isnt everything
Even though she was famous, her husband beat her habitually and …gah. Im too sad.
Its so saddening how one person’s suicide (mr. ahn’s) had such a widespread and devastating ripple affect… to the point where ANOTHER person commits suicide… this is just too shocking. And I’m afriad to say this, cause it sounds horrible, but these incidents happen so often now that I think I’m becoming desensitized…
“And not just a friend to many peers, but she’s a sunbae who all the younger actors and actresses look up to. Not just in Asia, but I’ve seen her articles online at BBC, LA Times, Yahoo. Just imagine how shaken up the people in Korea are. It’s a nationwide loss.”
Well said ndegeocello.
this is just too sad.
i feel really bad for her good friends, especially that widow..
she probably feels that she has no one left.
RIP
I agree with the comments regarding Jung Sun Hee. May God bless her with strength in these times. She needs it the most. I cant imagine what her and her friends are going through right now.
May Choi JinShil’s family be blessed with strength in these times also.
Rest in Peace
I’m just worried about Jung Sung Hee. LSOML2’s cancellation is sad, CJS’s death is horrifying. But it’s now done. She has chosen her path and nothing can be done. I only hope she’s happy in heaven. But even after death, she still hasn’t been able to stop the rumors, has she? This is one of those moments where I REALLY hate netizens, reporters. They might not have been all, but they WERE the final stroke. She already fought through so much, got back on her feet, and now they blame her for her friend’s death? And, I mean, look at them still PREYING on her after death!
I don’t get suicide, but I know CJS was in great pain and those around them now needs comfort and privacy, not this. And the deceased certainly does not need criticism.
But back to JSH… With two great emotional shocks, I really hope she has a great support system and toughen it out. I don’t want to hear about another incident like this. Enough is enough already.
I wonder if she was taking any medication for her depression?
This hits very close to home because my father had depression when he was in his 40s. In Asian culture there’s still a stigma about going to a psychiatrist but luckily his work paid for it and my dad was forced to go by my mom.
The doctor prescribed some medication for him and within a few months he was completely fine. Depression is a physical illness that does need to be treated. It’s not a simple “mental” issue.
Oh, and to those wondering why she didn’t think of her children, etc…
When a person has depression their mental state is already hormonally imbalanced. Meaning there’s something physically wrong with them (like a broken bone).
Normal thought processes just don’t work the way they should.
It must be especially hard for Jung Sun Hee.
She just lost her husband, and she has to go through the pain again by losing her best friend. So sad!
RIP Unni!
@#54 Jessica, I’m so glad to see someone make that point. Depression is a widely misunderstood illness. Telling someone suffering from depression to “be strong and snap out of it”, or “stop being selfish and think about others” is as ridiculous as telling someone suffering from pneumonia to “snap out of it and stop coughing”…. as ridiculous as telling someone with cancer, “you have beautiful children, a good job, and good friends, so I don’t understand what’s your problem”.
It’s hard for people who haven’t experienced it to understand….which may be why alot of people display more patience and sympathy for someone suffering from a common cold.
Actually, I should add, it’s hard for people who ARE experiencing it to understand because of the stigma and blame and misunderstanding that is still attached to it.
Still I’m so shocked and saddened by this news. It doesn’t seem real. It breaks my heart to think of the anguish she was feeling.
This has got to be the most surprising death. I’m such a big fan of hers and I had to look twice at the title of the post. Major whoa.
Lucky I wasn’t in my depressed mode like a few days back or else I’ll be bawling my eyes out right now.
: ( So many people die…
It’s so frustrating how people can easily commit suicides like this…
I just hope that her children will be in good care and consolence to her family.
RIP
I feel so bad for her family and friends. She was obviously loved. They must be going through a very painful time right now.
I in no way agree with suicide but who in there right mind would? Obviously she wasn’t in the right state of mind to do something so drastic. No one in their right mind wants to die. It’s just so sad.
I can’t stand when people talk ill about the dead (or say such hateful things about celebrities in general). What’s done is done and what’s the point of saying cruel things? Because they’re famous and that’s the life they chose? Because it’s the internet and having the security of anonymity makes it easier to say cruel things? Regardless, they are still people who have family and friends out there that are trying to grieve. Maybe if one of those hateful people’s family member or friend died and they had to experience how vicious words can be they will learn to be a little more compassionate. I honestly just don’t understand why someone would care so much about a stranger that they would take the time to get on the computer and write mean things. Some may say that it’s their opinion and right to say whatever they want but this is my opinion.
RIP Choi Jin-shil
“Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life” Eric Hoffer
Thank you for thouroghly story. I really hate to see the cameramen & photographers crowded like that….
Rest in peace Choi Jin-shil..
I am sadden to see such a respectable actress gone… I hope her friends and family stay strong… I hope choi jin-shil find peace. I also hope her children will be taken cared of.
thank you for this news, dramabeans.
OMG…What’s happening in the Kcelebrity world?
Are they really trapped that they can’t find another way out?
Perhaps the K-entertainment industry should set up a counseling center for their celebrities. Life is just too precious to end like that…
the pictures were so heartbreaking to see.
i feel so bad just at her dear friends and family
whose lives was touched and shared many happy moments with CJS.
i cant imagine what her mom and kids would like.
looking at her brother, shin ae, jung jun ho, lee young ja and sun hee.
i feel bad for sun hee this is two consecutive people
she loves dearly.. i hope she always has people around her.
so sad to think about how depressed and something was wrong..
sigh.. people can be really mean and cruel to point fingers and spread rumors.
rip choi jin shil.. you are greatly missed..
i hope her children will be with taken good care of..
Channel 18’s MBC News is doing a retrospective on Jin Shil (she looked so young with Kang Soo Yeon!!
) Plus extended funeral coverage right now.
It didn’t really sink in until now. I mean, she’s gone, she’s fucking GONE!!!!
I’ll never be able to see unnie ever again. EVER AGAIN!! 
:( Why did you have to kill yourself? After everything you went through, how could you do this to yourself?!? Why didn’t anybody reach out for you? 
:(
I’m saddened and disappointed on all sides. First, there is no program in place for actors to go to therapy or to be evaluated. Most people take for granted that when a person is so strong that they will be able to overcome everything that life brings to them. Not knowing that these actors had depended on themselves for so long that when their world crashes they had nothing to hold them up. We need something so much bigger then us as our focus. Because many times our children is not enough, the love of our spouse is not enough, or the thought of what you are leaving behind in suffering is not enough. I’m talking about keeping our eyes so focused on God that whatever anyone says to them is not important anymore because they have a different focus altogether. A support group of people to pay attention to these stars especially with these rumors. She seemed to be fighting alone? I don’t know if it could have been prevented altogether but with this epidemic in hand there needs to be programs established not only for stars but for many others too. How to learn to cope with stress and malignant rumors. With death, it ends and there is no chance to experience so many simple and beautiful things that this crazy world still hides waiting to be discovered.
quite pissed with the netizens. many may not have known their comments were THAT fatal and some just do not care! even though we all have the rights to freedom of speech, this is too much… it’s so sad that a person is lost because of baseless accusations.
wow…i just bought the dvd of her latest drama Last Scandal, last sunday coz i heard it’s good and i’m planning on watching the series tomorrow..but then again why do i have to see this news now..i should’ve have watched the series earlier…anyway, it’s so saddenning..rest in peace..
I noticed many commented on how unacceptable this is because she had always been strong despite the obstacles in her life - she stood strong throughout and emerged victorious, thus portraying a strong image and an exemplary figure to many people. So how could she choose this path?
The irony is, it’s exactly this strength and never backing down in the face of troubles, that had broke her in the end. When you face the first hardship in life, you accept it, thinking it’s Heaven’s will, when you face the second, you think, ‘it’s OK, I got through the first, I can get through this’, when the tenth approaches, you start to feel weary, when the eleventh comes by, you feel the anger approaching and starts to question: haven’t I been tested enough?! And you simply don’t know when it will end or when the next one is coming.
This is when you decide to stop fighting and just give in. Dying is about the only thing that occupies your mind 24/7. This feeling is very REAL, and no one is in the position to make comments just because your idealistic mind thinks so.
I’m in the position to say it because I KNOW. Least this get into a boring comment (a comment is supposed to be short and sweet), I will end this by just saying: it was not an easy decision for Choi Jin-shil and I believe she regretted every bit of it as the last breath fizzles out of her body, but there is simply nothing she can do about it - there and then.
If anyone truly care about her, just think what if her family and kids are reading what are being written here. It will break their hearts. No matter how much we lover her, we are still strangers who do not know her, so I don’t think it is fair for anyone to judge her (or anybody who commits suicide).
i’m dumbfounded when i read the news today! She’s one fine actress that left an impression on You & I, a 1997 drama that starred the young Song Seung Hun and Cha In Pyo. Recently, i’ve been following her dramas - really depressing news. Can imagine the shock her artiste friends and the media got. Rest in peace - CJS
She has so many close friends in the entertainment industry… They all look really upset and Jung Sun Hee’s grief is just terrible… Why would she commit suicide? She’s a mother of two kids for goodness sake… Depression in adults is more serious than it looks…
Rest in peace, Choi Jin Shil.
@JAC,
You’re right JAC. I think, after watching the news, it just really came home for me. I just feel angry and sad for her, but never at her. It’s a visceral, reactive thing for me, because the person was Jin Shil.
I have no real opinion on the Netizen thing, because well it would be pot kettle black.
From my experiences, I do have pretty strong opinions on depression and suicide. But what I found is that everybody has strong opinions on depression and suicide, and most of the time people agree or agree to disagree. South Korea, Southern California, whatever, the fact is there’s much more judgment than empathy in the world. It is very hard to find somebody who understands. And it is harder to not feel like somehow it is ALL your fault.
belleza,
The thing about opinions is (suicide, depression or whatever controversial issues), people in general, wants to see only the beautiful side of things, or the right way of doing things. I’m guilty of having a firm stance on issues too, but I refrain from putting a stamp on a person’s character, based on his/her appearance, what she/he had done.
Looking at such issues from afar (do we really know what had gone on?), THAT, is obviously, not a very RIGHT WAY of doing things.
“the fact is there’s much more judgment than empathy in the world. It is very hard to find somebody who understands. ”
Yeah, you can tell me that. WELL SAID.
May she rest in peace…..
Strangely enough there was an article in the Toronto Sun today about it:
http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/2008/10/03/6961296-sun.html
my god. i’m shocked. i love her. i really do. rip. :((
I am esp shocked and saddened by this death - because it was more through her tough ‘never say die’ journey pre-post divorce that got me noticing and respecting this courageous trailblazer.
Such a strong survivor like her certainly doesn’t deserve this tragic end, esp NOT after that difficult long road she travelled so valiantly, with such strong love for her two kids …. though I fervently hope she has found the peace and rest she needed.
And please .. it couldn’t have been easy on her taking this route of desperation either - esp with her obvious love for the kids she’s leaving behind - to those harshly judging her choice.
I don’t get the money connection, and its negative connotations. Nor do I need to understand.
(just wanted to say - there are always 2 sides to any story.
so even IF she did lend the money … hullo, she’s a self-supporting single mom herself with two young kids + an aging mom to feed with zilch alimony support from her Ex. at 40 … with limited/acting-advertising model shelf-life, plus all the resulting insecurities about the future. SO WHAT IF she had expected her hard-earned money back?!?)
It’s just really really sad it had to escalate to this.
Esp for someone inspiring and exemplary like Choi Jin Shil who bravely soldiered so far, so well … despite all the many setbacks life dealt her. She deserves so much better.
(And whatever it is anyways - it’s really between her and him/them, ain’t it? It’s so easy to say on hindsight what should~should not be done. And really … what did those same people do for Ahn Jae-Hwan anyways for them to pass such harsh judgement on people who may have tried to help, and what if it had been their money involved?)
Wow… I don’t even have any words for this… I don’t understand how people could be so cruel? I don’t think I’ve ever been this affected by a celebrity’s death — Choi Jin Shil has been one of my favorite actresses since the mid-90’s, and I just can’t believe she’s gone. This can’t be true; it’s just too surreal.
It is with great disappointment that I have learned this morning about the passing of one of Korea’s most famous actresses. It was at sometime in the 90’s that I first started following the actress and her career. She was an inspiration to most of the stars on Korean TV programs and in the movies. It is sad to say this, having never met the lady, but felt I knew her more than some of her friends. If you can call them friends? I remember the disappointment I felt for her at the time she was to get married and her now X-husband raised such a stink about her apparell. She was an angel among all of us, and maybe she has finally found her peace within the loving arms of GOD. She is at rest now, and we should all remember her for the things she gave each of us who knew her, either by her performance or personally. Choi, Jin Shil, you will be remembered, and I ask all of you to now let her rest. To all the other stars in Korea, I would like to say, CHANGE!!!!!!!! Bye bye Miss Choi and God Bless
I’m very shocked when I read the news. I really like her acting in K-dramas and I consider her as one of best actresses in Korea. I wish she can rest in peace. My best wishes for her little children. I hope someday they can forgive her for leaving them so suddenly and understand the reason why she did it.
Good bye Choi Jin Shil……
It is time to let the press, the internet rumors goes…Please be strong. There are a lot more people would beleive in a nice person. We are not stupid, we are not easy to be fooled, and we know how to forget and forgive. Please do not kill yourself for such nonsense. One way to beat such heartless, and indifferent of the news reporting, the sensationalism of the press to sell newspaper s is to be able to laugh at them. Most of the time, they are only good for starting fire in the fireplace. I am so disappointed in humanity, so cruel at time….