The teenager's secret diary is kept on a tablet. "Why did I have to be born into such a terrible family? All they ever talk about is getting perfect scores."

This is a scene from the South Korean TV series Sky Castle. It is about a country obsessed with success where young people are driven incredibly hard.

There was a tragic reminder of this last month when Moonbin, a member of the boy band Astro, was found dead in SeoulThe capital of South Korea, with a population of nearly 10 million. . The police believe that he took his own life.

Several other young K-pop stars have lost their lives in recent years, apparently by suicide.

In 2018 Jonghyun, the lead singer of SHINee, and Minwoo of 100% both died. In 2019 Sulli killed herself after suffering online bullying. A month later her friend Goo Hara also died.

K-pop stars lead highly pressurised lives. A few years ago Kang Daniel gave up his career saying that he was "losing all will to live".

But this is just the tip of the iceberg in a country which has a very high suicide rate. In 2021 suicide was the cause of 44% of teenage deaths.

Between 2017 and 2021, cases of depression rose by 90% among teenagers.¹ Sadly, those who suffer in this way are often afraid to seek help.

"Many of my closest friends have struggled with suicidal thoughts and depression," Raphael Rashid reports from Seoul in The Guardian. He says they complain of the pressure to fit in and succeed, loneliness and feeling worthless.

The cause of the pressure is fierce competition for jobs. Getting a good university degree is considered essential for a well-paid career.

A survey of 70 countries found that South Korea had the unhappiest schoolchildren. Around 85% of five-year-olds and 35% of two-year-olds have private lessons at "cram schools" after they finish nursery school for the day. 

Yes: We live in a world in which a successful career is prized above everything else and parents have unreasonable expectations of their children. It is not surprising that so many people feel unhappy.

No: Very few societies are as demanding as South Korea's. Many people find jobs that are highly rewarding, even if they are not very well paid. Most of us have easier lives than our ancestors did.

Or... Young people, more than ever before, are standing up and talking about the importance of mental health. Modern life is also about causing change for the better.

Seoul - The capital of South Korea, with a population of nearly 10 million.