You might think that a news story about a Korean celebrity killing themselves is small news but the recent suicide of actor Jo Min-ki has led to fears that the ever-growing #metoo movement is getting out of hand. Indeed, it has led to many claiming it is a witch-hunt and anti-male.

The actor’s death was announced a day after the South Korean President said that he supported the movement. The very male-dominated country comes near the bottom in terms of gender equality. No wonder that the entertainment industry is rife with stories of abuse and exploitation. The last week has seen the resignation of a governor tipped to be the next Presidential candidate of the country.  Meanwhile one of Korea’s most prominent actors was removed from a film due to claims of sexual harassment which he initially failed to apologise for.   Finally, the director Kim Ki-duk has denied several accusations of rape made by actresses in two of his films.

The question now is what does the movement hope to achieve? The movement has spread across the world through social media but is in danger of becoming completely out of control and disproportionate. If there has been abuse, the right thing would surely be to report such instances to police. Yet, most of the actresses stayed silent and continued to work with the actors and directors whom they now claim abused them.

The fact that the actor committed suicide before any formal charges were bought should concern those who want the perpetrators to face justice. A situation where lives are tarnished in this way is no good for anyone.