Suicide in South Korea

[3][4][5] Relative poverty among senior citizens in South Korea, although declining since 2011, has contributed to their high rate of suicide.

[9][10] A 2024 TIME Magazine investigation reported that South Korea's suicide prevention and mental health welfare centers receive insufficient government funding, data, and support.

Senior officials from six local centers alleged that the central government withholds suicide-related data from them "to shield districts, cities, and provinces with high rates of suicide from reputational damage," obstructing their efforts "to enact policies that would meet the needs of their communities and, ultimately, save lives.

As people age, certain sociopsychological factors such as income decline due to retirement, increased medical costs, physical deterioration or disabilities, loss of spouse or friends and no sense of purpose increases the risk of suicide[12] Many impoverished elderly people choose to die by suicide as to not be a burden on their families, since the South Korean welfare system is poorly funded and the tradition of children caring for their parents in old age has largely disappeared in the 21st century.

[13] Over a 5 year period, the number of suicide or self-inflicted injuries has increased from 4,947 in 2015 to 9,828 in 2019, and most cases involved people aged between 9 and 24.

Kang Byung-won, a Parliament member from the Democratic party announced that "26.9 young South Koreans either attempt suicide or suffer self-inflicted injuries per day.

The Risk-Rescue Rating Scale (RRRS), which measures the lethality of the suicidal method by gauging the ratio between five risk and five rescue factors, averaged out to be 37.18 for men and 34.00 for women.

However, compared to male suicide rates, this issue did not receive as much attention, prompting some to call it a "silent massacre.

The study of divorce, separated or widowed statuses showed that individuals dissatisfied with family relationships were at a higher risk of depression, thoughts of suicide and low self-esteem.

[20] According to Baumeister,[20] the model can be viewed as a decision tree: First, the individual has a severe failure or setback that falls below theirs or society's high expectations and standards.

[20] Third, the individual will fuel their suicidal ideation by believing the failure or setback is because they are inadequate, unlikable, and guilty and a bad person.

[21] Low socioeconomic status, high stress, inadequate sleep, alcohol use, and smoking are associated with suicidal tendencies among adolescents.

As 71.4% of the elderly population is uneducated and 37.1% of them live in rural areas, they are more likely to face economic hardship, which can lead to health problems and family conflicts.

Throughout that time period, hanging grew to be perceived as more painless, socially acceptable, and accessible, and became a much more common method throughout the first decade of the 21st century.

[37] The topic of suicide remains taboo in South Korea because it is often viewed as a personal weakness or failure.

Those who struggle with suicidal thoughts have cited societal pressure to succeed, isolation, worthlessness and discrimination as contributing factors.

They attend after school programs called hagwons and there are over 100,000 of them throughout South Korea, making them a 20 billion dollar industry.

Although South Korean education consistently ranks near the top in international academic assessments such as PISA,[22] the enormous stress and pressure[59] on its students is considered by many to constitute child abuse.

[63] In April 2023, three teenagers died after jumping from high-rise buildings within five days of each other in a district known for its elite schools and expensive tutoring centers.

[64] A study has shown that men have the highest rate of suicide attempts when they experience maternal death from the ages of 0–4 and 5–9.

[66] However, as "cultural tradition of filial obligation is not congruent with the increasingly competitive, specialized labor market of the modern era", the elderly may seek to die by suicide so as to lessen the burden on their children.

[68] Studies have found that in gay and lesbian South Korean youth, feelings of isolation and perceived burdensomeness are present at higher rates than in their heterosexual counterparts.

Over two million people suffer from depression annually in South Korea, but only 15,000 choose to receive regular treatment.

[70] Since there is such a strong negative stigma on the treatment of mental illnesses, many symptoms go unnoticed and can lead to many irrational decisions including suicide.

[71] As the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea continued, many men in their 50s and women in their 20s struggled, which led some to die by suicide.

[73] The education ministry created a smartphone app to check students' social media posts, messages and web searches for words related to suicide.

The national guideline helps the media coverage to focus more on warning signs and possibilities of treatment, rather than factors that lead to suicide.

[73] The South Korean government educates gatekeepers within at-risk communities, such as female elders or low-income families.

As mentioned above in the methods, the government has restricted access to poisoning agents, monoxide from charcoal, and finally train platforms.