Gov't finalizes 6th Suicide Prevention Basic Plan

SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- The government on Monday finalized a package of measures aimed at preventing suicide in a nation that has outstripped other developed countries in terms of suicide rates for more than two decades.

The sixth Suicide Prevention Basic Plan was finalized during a meeting of the suicide prevention policy committee presided over by Prime Minister Han Seong-sook. The measures include reducing motivation for suicide and offering psychological care and counseling.

South Korea has charted out the suicide prevention basic plan every five years starting in 2004 in an effort to curb suicide rates. The fifth basic plan was announced in 2023 for a period through 2027, but the government came up with the sixth plan earlier than scheduled as suicide rates spiked in 2024.

South Korea's suicide rate, which refers to the number of suicide deaths per 100,000 people a year, surged to 29.1 in 2024, but fell back to 27.8 in 2025. This year, suicide deaths totaled 7,432 between January and July, down 12.3 percent, or 1,043, from the same period last year.

The country has been at the top among the OECD member countries in terms of suicide rates since 2003, except for 2017, when the country was in second place following Lithuania's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Officials said the sixth basic plan calls for "BASIC" strategy, the acronym for basic safety net, active outreach, structural support, integrated care and community accountability.

Under the measures, the government plans to establish the national suicide response office and increase the number of personnel at the suicide prevention centers across the nation to 7.1 people by 2027 from the current five people while operating temporary shelters and raising the financial support for medical expenses.

Artificial intelligence will be used to predict suicide risks and the government will also help restructure long-term debts, offer emergency living expenses for high-risk groups and provide counseling for students and high-stress occupational groups, such as military, police and firefighters, officials said.

"Safeguarding the people's lives is an important obligation of the country," Han said. "Suicide is not just an issue for a specific ministry, but a matter that the entire government should take responsibility for and address."

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