A video of a taxi driver trying to persuade a man not to take his own life has gone viral on social media here, with the conversation taking an unexpected turn in what turned out to be a false alarm.
The video, shared multiple times on Instagram and YouTube, featured an elderly driver hesitantly telling a young passenger, "Sir, I won't charge you today. Just please go home," as the taxi was headed to Mapo Bridge over the Han River.
The passenger, however, not knowing what the driver was talking about, asked what he meant, to which the driver replied, "Didn't you say you were headed to Mapo Bridge?"
Bewildered, the young man checked his phone only to discover that he had mistakenly entered the Han River bridge as his destination on the taxi call application.
"I meant to pick a bar that was near (the bridge)," he said, as the tension immediately dissolved between the two men. "(The app) said you were heading to Mapo Bridge, so I thought..." said the driver. Laughing, the man assured the driver that he "wasn't having such thoughts (taking his own life)."
The video ended with the driver saying, "I'm so glad to hear that," and happily asking the passenger for his actual destination.
The driver's concern was not unfounded. 2024 data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government showed that 26.5 percent of the 5,341 suicide attempts at Han River bridges between 2022 and Sept., 2024, occurred at Mapo Bridge.
This far exceeded the figures for Jamsil Bridge (8.3 percent) and Hangang Bridge (7.6 percent).
Though data also revealed that 97.2 percent of those who attempted suicide at the bridge were rescued, these statistics have given Mapo Bridge an undesirable reputation.
The Seoul City government has installed additional structures on top of the existing railings of some Han River bridges in its efforts to prevent suicide attempts. Additionally, the civic organization Lifeline Korea has installed dozens of SOS emergency phones, from which people can call the suicide hotline.
If you’re thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s helpline at 109, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
