Toward the end of their lives, the close friends were honest about who they were. They didn't try to adopt a persona as a perfect lover or sister. They spoke their minds. They were fallible.
When South Korea legalized abortion this year, Sulli publicly declared that she was pro-choice. She was open about her mental health struggles, insisted women should not have to wear bras if they found them uncomfortable, and once live-streamed herself drinking alcohol without wearing a bra. "I used to only take the small alleys, and it felt like there were cameras everywhere," Sulli said in the same TV appearance.
She was found unconscious in her home the previous month, only days before she was scheduled to testify in Choi's case. Paik Jong-woo, a psychiatrist and the director of of the Korea Suicide Prevention Center, attributes part of this to social stigma. Fewer South Koreans who suffer from depression seek help than in other developing countries, studies show."Artists tend to experience emotions more vividly and because their job is being loved by the public, they cannot help but be more sensitive to public views," he said.