Three sisters obsessed with Korean culture left an eight-page suicide note explaining their love for Korea before jumping to their deaths from their ninth-floor apartment in Ghaziabad, India, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Pakhi, 12, Prachi, 14, and Vishika, 16, died after leaping from their balcony following days of being denied access to their mobile phones by their parents. The girls had bolted the door shut before jumping from the window one by one around 2:15am on 4 February in Uttar Pradesh.
Police discovered the extensive suicide note written across the pages of a pocket diary. Their devastated father, Chetan Kumar, disclosed the contents to authorities and media.
“They said: ‘Papa, sorry, Korea is our life, Korea is our biggest love, whatever you say, we cannot give it up. So we are killing ourselves,'” Kumar revealed. The note also stated: “You tried to distance us from Koreans, but now you know how much we love Koreans.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police Nimish Patel confirmed the girls had been influenced by Korean culture, referencing movies, music and television series. “For the past few days, they had been denied access to a mobile phone, a restriction that appeared to have affected them,” he stated.
The sisters were so immersed in Korean entertainment that they had adopted Korean names. Wall writings in their bedroom included messages such as “I am very very alone” and “make me a hert of broken.”
Their phone addiction began during the COVID-19 pandemic and became so overwhelming that they dropped out of school two years ago. The constant consumption of Korean content had consumed their daily lives to the point where separation from their devices proved unbearable.
Their screams were loud enough to wake their parents, neighbours and security guards at the apartment complex. However, by the time their parents broke down the bolted balcony door, all three girls had already fallen.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Atul Kumar Singh confirmed at the scene that the three daughters of Chetan Kumar had died after jumping from the building.
Later reports suggested two of the sisters may have fallen accidentally whilst attempting to hold back the third. A neighbour, Arun Singh, who witnessed the incident told NDTV he saw what appeared to be two girls trying to pull someone back from the railing before all three fell headfirst.
Television footage captured the bodies outside the building as their mother wailed whilst shocked neighbours watched. The tragic scene unfolded in front of multiple witnesses who were unable to prevent the deaths.
Kumar expressed hope that the tragedy would serve as a warning to other families, stating: “This should not happen to any parent or child.”
Patel emphasised in his statement: “It is clear that the girls were influenced by Korean culture and have mentioned it in the suicide note.”
Authorities continue investigating the circumstances whilst the community processes the loss of three young lives. The case highlights concerns about digital addiction among young people and the extreme measures taken when access to online content is restricted.
