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Ghaziabad Sisters' Suicide: The tragic deaths of three young sisters in Ghaziabad, who allegedly jumped from the ninth floor of their high-rise building, have shocked the nation. The heartbreaking incident has drawn attention to the growing influence of Korean culture on Indian youth, as a nine-page pocket diary recovered from the sisters' room offers disturbing insights into their intense attachment to Korean culture and the family strife that may have contributed to their tragic decision.

The three sister identified as Nishika (16), Prachi (14), and Pakhi (12) were found dead after allegedly jumping to their deaths from their apartment building. Their father, Chetan Kumar, claimed that the girls had been playing a Korean game for nearly three years, a period during which they had reportedly stopped attending school.

While police officials investigating the case stated that there was no evidence of any Korean task-based app being used by the girls, the diary they left behind offers a glimpse into their troubled lives. According to the police, the diary repeatedly references the sisters' deep affection for Korea, and their frustration with what they felt were their family’s efforts to make them abandon their passion.

“We love Korean. Love, love, love,” the diary reads, describing the document as a "true life story" and urging readers to believe its contents.

The girls also accused their parents of physical abuse and of threatening them with arranged marriages. According to the diary, they could not accept such threats because of their love for Korean culture. "You tried to make us give up Korean. Korean was our life. You expected us to marry an Indian, that can never happen," the diary states.

Initial investigations by the police suggest that the sisters were driven by an obsessive interest in Korean dramas and games, and lived in a large family burdened by financial difficulties.

A Pattern of Growing Fascination With Korean Culture

This tragic incident in Ghaziabad is not an isolated case. In recent years, a disturbing trend has emerged in India, where minors are increasingly influenced by Korean pop culture, including K-pop and K-dramas. In December 2024, in Maharashtra, three minor girls aged 11 and 13 faked their own kidnapping to escape to Pune, hoping to earn money for a trip to South Korea to meet BTS, their favourite K-pop group. The girls were intercepted by police before they could leave, and an investigation was launched into whether an organised trafficking ring had been involved.

In a similar case in September 2023, three teenage girls from West Bengal ran away from home with Rs 14,000 and a change of clothes, intending to join a K-pop band as background dancers in Seoul. They were rescued at Shalimar station in Kolkata before they could board a train to Mumbai.

A further case in January 2024 saw three 13-year-old girls from Karur district board a train to Chennai, convinced they could find a ship to South Korea to meet BTS. The girls were intercepted by police after their parents reported them missing.

These incidents reveal a disturbing pattern, where minors are becoming increasingly captivated by Korean culture to the extent that they are willing to take extreme actions in pursuit of their obsession.

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The Korean Wave In India: A Growing Craze

The phenomenon of "Hallyu" the Korean wave has taken the world by storm, and India is no exception. The term "Hallyu" refers to the global spread of Korean popular culture, including K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean fashion and beauty trends.

Many argue that the Korean wave in India began in 2012 with the viral success of rapper Psy's Gangnam Style, which became a cultural touchstone in school functions, wedding sangeets, and college festivals. However, it was during the COVID-19 lockdown that the Korean wave truly exploded in India. As people turned to streaming platforms for entertainment, K-dramas gained immense popularity to pass their time.

Today, K-pop and K-dramas have become a major cultural force in India. According to the 2025 Global Hallyu Survey, based on 2024 data, India recorded the third-highest global affinity for K-content, with 84.5 per cent of Indians engaging with Korean content, just behind the Philippines and Indonesia. India also boasts an impressive 185 million K-pop streaming users.

The surge in popularity of K-pop and K-dramas has also driven a rise in the number of people wanting to learn the Korean language. In 2023, Korean ranked as the fourth most-learned foreign language in India on Duolingo. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced Korean as an elective language in 2020, and by 2024, over 2,000 CBSE-affiliated schools were offering Korean as a second or third language.

Korean culture has also impacted other sectors, such as beauty and fashion. India’s imports of Korean lifestyle products including beauty, food, and fashion grew by an astonishing 287 per cent between 2020 and 2023, valued at over 418 million dollars by late 2023. K-beauty and K-fashion brands have entered over 160 Indian malls and retail chains.

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While the rise of K-culture in India has many positive aspects, there are also growing concerns about its negative impact on young people, particularly minors. Critics argue that the intense attachment to Korean culture may lead to a loss of identity and cultural disconnection, especially among teenagers who may feel isolated in their pursuit of this foreign culture.

There is also the troubling belief that K-culture contributes to loneliness. South Korea itself grapples with a loneliness crisis, with 3,661 lonely deaths recorded in 2023, a marked increase from 3,559 in 2022 and 3,378 in 2021.


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