Gov't sounds alarm as suicide numbers rise by 10 percent

Koreans who died by suicide as of May increased by some 10 percent compared to the same period last year, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.

A board sign shows an emergency hotline phone installed on Mapo Bridge in western Seoul last September. [YONHAP]

Koreans who died by suicide as of May increased by some 10 percent compared to the same period last year, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday convened a public-private council meeting dedicated to preventing suicide. The meeting was attended by officials from related ministries, as well as religious figures, labor representatives and academics.

The ministry said 6,375 Koreans died of suicide between January and May this year, marking a 10.1 percent on-year increase compared to the same period last year.

The ministry also said 13,770 died by suicide last year, marking the highest toll since 2020. The figure is an increase of 6.7 percent compared to 2022.

In the meeting, officials expressed concern that this year’s suicides would exceed last year's.

The government said continuing social isolation after the Covid-19 pandemic, economic hardships, worsened depression and anxiety are leading more people to consider suicide. It also said the country saw copycat suicide cases for seven to eight weeks right after a publicly well-known figure died of suicide.

The country’s suicide ratio has been in decline since it peaked in 2013 — with some 14,427 deaths of suicide per 100,000 people. However, 2023's suicide count suggests the trend has reversed.

The nation’s suicide rate is highest among OECD member countries, marking 24.1 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020. Lithuania, with the second highest deaths, had 20.3 suicides per 100,000 people, while other nations remained below the threshold of 20 deaths per 100,000 people.

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling, contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, LEE HAY-JUNE [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]