South Korea has unveiled an ambitious plan to bring its suicide rate below 20 deaths per 100,000 people within five years and to reduce the rate by nearly 40 percent over the next decade, aiming to shed its status as the country with the highest suicide rate in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
At a government-wide policy meeting on Friday, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said the 2025 National Suicide Prevention Strategy has established the goal of lowering the nation’s suicide rate from last year’s 28.3 per 100,000 to 19.4 by 2029 and 17.0 by 2034.
Health officials said the 2034 target of 17.0 suicides was set in view of Lithuania’s rate of 17.1, which is the second highest among OECD members — underscoring the government’s determination to end South Korea’s long-held highest ranking within the next decade.
Achieving those benchmarks would mean cutting annual deaths from 14,439 in 2024 to fewer than 10,000 within five years.
President Lee Jae Myung has said “suicide is a societal disaster,” and ordered the creation of a dedicated national body. Kim echoed that urgency at the meeting, pledging a “whole-of-government” response that mobilizes ministries, local governments and civic groups.
The strategy centers on intensive prevention efforts for people who attempt suicide and for bereaved families, who face heightened risk. Emergency room data on suicide attempts will be automatically shared with local governments so that suicide prevention teams can intervene on the spot, rather than relying on police or self-referrals.
The number of hospital-based crisis response centers will rise from 92 to 98 next year, providing risk assessment and short-term case management.
Support for bereaved families will expand as well. The current one-stop service offering counseling, temporary housing and legal assistance in 12 provinces will extend to all 17 provinces and cities by July 2025.
Tackling root causes
Recognizing that suicide can be fueled by financial distress and social isolation, the plan deploys a broad set of policy tools as well.
The government will buy and write off long-term overdue debts of up to 50 million won if they are more than seven years in arrears, and expand free legal representation for victims of illegal debt collection.
Programs also include emergency living-cost assistance for low-income residents, stronger labor inspections to curb workplace harassment, expanded support for crime victims, and greater emotional and mental health services for police, firefighters and military personnel.
To protect young people, schools will adopt restorative programs to address bullying and offer “reflection periods” to prevent violence.
The plan also calls for wider use of artificial intelligence to analyze counseling data and monitor harmful online content, as well as the addition of two national 109 suicide-prevention hotline centers to improve 24/7 access.
Second Vice Health Minister Lee Hyung-hoon acknowledged the challenge, saying the targets are “ambitious and may weigh heavily on frontline workers,” but emphasized that the central government and municipalities will act “with the determination to marshal all resources to reduce suicide.”
Closing the session, Kim emphasized execution and accountability. “We have built a better plan; now we must deliver,” he said, adding that the government is considering institutionalizing the committee’s work into a permanent headquarters.
“No Korean should be left to end their life in loneliness. Government, localities and civil society must act together to create change.”
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
