It’s no secret that the glamourous lives of Kpop and Korean celebrity are dashed with many mental health struggles and this problem is not a recent one.
Taking it TWICE-courage to keep trying
Being a member of the hottest K-pop girl group comes with its fair share of fame, glamour and pressure. Key vocalist, Jeongyeon, went on a mental break last August to seek professional help regarding her anxiety issues. Her next public appearance was during TWICE’s performance at the 30th Seoul Music Awards in January 2021. Watch their incredible performance here.
Jeongyeon isn’t the first in her team to take time off to address personal mental health. In 2019, one of the three Japanese members, Mina, experienced anxiety issues and sought professional help, leaving TWICE’s world tour abruptly.
TWICE came back together stronger than ever, with their latest song, Alcohol-Free, full of summer vibes! But in Aug this year, Jeongyeon had to take leave again because of anxiety issues and Twice has to push on without her. However, we find Jeongyeon’s courage to take necessary breaks and persistance in coming back truly commendable.
Be vulnerable to be strong
Leeteuk of SuJu rose to fame more than 20 years ago, shares the tragic story of how he lost 3 family members in a single night. Leeteuk’s father who had struggled with depression for many years due to the stress of caring for his aged parents suffering from dementia and cancer, committed murder-suicide. As a result Leeteuk slipped into depression as a result of the grief. However, through the support of his friends, Leeteuk got through this dark period and can now talk about his mental health openly. Resilience, means facing up to your struggles, getting help and taking the steps needed to get better. Thanks Leeteuk for demonstrating what resilience really means.
Fellow SM Entertainment colleague Taeyeon revealed her journey battling depression with treatment and medication. In her latest Q&A session, she showed her vulnerable yet honest side with her fans, as she says she needs more time to get better. Unfortunately, Taeyeon lost friends, Sulli and SHINee’s Jonghyun, as they lost the fight against severe depression.
Celebrities, athletes and everyone around us have struggles like burnout and depression others may not see. Being resilient simply means having the desire to fight, even as fear, failures and tragedies strike around you.
You’re not alone
Behind the glitz and glamour, many K-pop celebrities have their fair share of struggles from poverty, death of family members and other mental health conditions such as depression and bulimia.
Find your team of support, share with your best friends or trusted adults around you. Building resilience means placing one brick at a time and having more hands on deck as we continue to grow stronger and overcome hardships together.
Learn to build resilience from within just like these champions of mental health.
Image credit: Soompi, Leeteuk IG,Taeyeon IG, The Ellen Show
