November 2008—Rethinking AIDS president David Crowe, on his return from a trip to South Korea, reports that the efforts of Korean AIDS rethinkers have reduced the suicide rate among persons diagnosed as HIV positive in that country.

"I learned that HIV diagnoses in Korea were traditionally followed by an extreme risk of suicide—about 50 percent—and that the influence of a Korean dissident group had significantly reduced this awful side effect of the diagnosis," says Crowe. The group, led by an individual named Bara who is credited with founding the AIDS dissident movement in Korea, has created original publications, translations and a Web site (www.noaids.co.kr).

"We also learned that HIV in Korea is associated with significant phobias and feelings of shame that can cause a psychological burden, even in people who are not HIV positive."

The mainstream AIDS organizations in Korea are similar to those around the world—heavily funded, motivated as much by this money as anything, and heavy pushers of AIDS drugs. Just as in other countries, such organizations are extremely upset that critics exist. Crowe reports that Bara has even received death threats.

Crowe invited a dissident Korean-English translator to become a Rethinking AIDS correspondent, using his bilingual skills to update rethinkers around the world about activities in Korea. In response, the Koreans could become more informed about activities in other countries.

"The rethinking movement in Korea arose autonomously out of the efforts of Bara, "says Crowe." I hope it will now become a strong pillar in the global rethinking movement. They were quite excited to meet a rethinker from another land—just as excited as I was to discover them."

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