Lee calls for government body dedicated to suicide prevention, mental health policy

President Lee Jae Myung holds a meeting with top aides at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, Thursday. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung holds a meeting with top aides at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, Thursday. (Yonhap)

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday described South Korea’s persistently high suicide rate as a “social disaster,” stressing that the government must overhaul its approach to prevention.

Speaking at a meeting with senior aides, Lee noted that nearly 14,000 people here took their own lives in 2023, double the average rate among member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. He warned that the figure likely rose further last year and this year, despite downward trends in other major countries.

“For more than 20 years, we have carried the stigma of being No. 1 in suicide rates among OECD countries,” Lee said. “To discuss countermeasures for low birth rates while neglecting the people driven to suicide is a clear contradiction, and nothing short of an abdication of state responsibility.”

Lee called for a “complete paradigm shift,” proposing an interministerial body dedicated to suicide prevention and mental health policy, along with greater resources and manpower.

His remarks came a day after a firefighter in his 30s, who had taken part in rescue operations during the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, was found dead in a suspected suicide. The man had been battling depression since the tragedy.

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If you are having thoughts of suicide, contact South Korea's Suicide Crisis hotline at 109. For foreign language assistance to connect with mental health professionals, call Danuri Portal's helpline at 1577-1366.


jychoi@heraldcorp.com