Feeling Dead To Mean Life In South Korea

Living funerals activities in South Korea. (Photo: Dailymail)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) noted that South Korea is one of the countries with the highest suicide rate in the world. This year, Ginseng Country is ranked 4th after Lithuania, Russia and Guyana.

Suicide in South Korea is mostly committed by parents and young people. There are factors that underlie this. In South Korea, a child is expected to take care of their parents when they become elderly. In order not to become a burden to their children, parents often decide to end their lives.

Young people in South Korea also experience something that is no less sad. Often times, they are required to achieve good academic grades. Therefore, when they feel dissatisfied with the results and afraid to disappoint their parents, they choose to commit suicide so as not to become a burden.

To stop this phenomenon, the South Korean government continues to improve mental health guidelines. The point is that people dare to voice what they feel. The Mapo Bridge, which is usually used as a place to end one's life, also has a marker such as a sign of enthusiasm for the people crossing the bridge.

Mapo Bridge in South Korea. (Yujin Ko / Pixabay)

Not only the government, office companies and schools have also tried various efforts to reduce suicide rates, namely by learning to appreciate life. There are many ways to appreciate it, but the one made this time is different. Getting into the coffin is a company ploy. These activities are called living funerals.

How do these living funerals work? In a room, participants enter wearing white robes and then sit at a table and write a final letter to their loved one. Then, they get into the coffins that are set open and hug the photos for their coffins.

After entering and lying in the coffin, a man wearing all black clothes with a black hat came to close the casket. He is usually called the angel of death. While in the chest, they will imagine what they went through all their life.

Just like companies, schools in South Korea do the same. Called the "Death Experience" program, the school shows what it is like to die. After feeling the experience for 10 minutes, then the participants will wake up. The head of the program then said, "You have seen what death looks like. You are alive, and you have to fight!" quoted from Elite Readers.

This is made so that participants can understand that a problem is also a part of life. This life needs to be appreciated so that we can live it well. And this experience can also change a person's perspective, one of which is Cho Yong Tae.

Reporting from the BBC, this experience made him realize that he had to start a new way of life. "I realized I made a lot of mistakes. I hope to be more passionate about the work I do and spend time with my family."

Jeong Yong-Mun, the manager of the Hyowon Healing Center, felt that this experience was necessary so that participants could solve their problems that are part of life. He said, as humans, we need to learn to accept a situation but not just stand by. In addition, the Healing Center also teaches you to laugh with the people closest to you. It helps relax feelings. Encouraging one another is also a way of appreciating life.

How? Are you interested in trying this experience?