South Korea became the country with the highest number of suicides in the world having "the highest suicide rate in the industrial world for eight consecutive years", according to Young-Ha Kim in his article titled "South Korea's Fight Against Suicide." Furthermore, the greatest suicide deaths occur among people aged 10 to 30 who attend school (YH Kim). The reason for this is because more South Korean students, who face extremely challenging academic and social pressures, feel more stressed and depressed. These pressures consume students' free time, meaning there is no time to get out and enjoy life's simple pleasures, such as watching TV, hanging out and relaxing. As a result, this makes their students feel completely miserable and completely drained, which deteriorates their mental and physical health. Overall, their country's intense education and social culture are so rigid and overwhelming that students turn to suicide to escape their anxiety and loneliness. The academic pressure that students face at school takes a toll on their well-being. The pressure to succeed and the further reinforcement of education by parents creates a barrier-like structure around students' lives that prevents them from enjoying free time activities, such as watching TV or hanging out with friends. This barrier is created because teachers and parents know that to get into top universities, students must pass the college entrance exam, known as suneung, to also “qualify for college enrollment” (Sorensen 19). Unlike America, where students have plenty of colleges and universities to choose from in addition to Ivy League schools, in South Korea students have only a few universities… middle of paper… June 2014.Kim , The Young Shin, Yun-Joo Koh and Bennett Leventhal. “School bullying and suicide risk in Korean middle school students.” Pediatrics 115.2 (1 February 2005): 357-63. Pediatrics. Network. June 7, 2014.McDonald, Mark. "Elite South Korean school rocked by wave of suicides: Student council deplores 'incessant competition' leaving no time to mourn." International Herald Tribune (May 23, 2011): 4. LexisNexis Academic. Network. June 9, 2014.Warner, Margaret. “In hypercompetitive South Korea, pressure mounts on young pupils.” PBS. PBS, January 1, 2011. Web. June 5, 2014. Sorensen, Clark W. “Success and Education in South Korea.” Comparative Education Review 38.1 (1994): 1-35. University of Washington. Network. June 5, 2014. Page used 19Dwyer, Eric M. “Teenage Life in South Korea.” Florida International University. Florida International University, January 1, 2011. Web. June 15 2014.