Suicide rate South Korea 2010-2022, by age
Suicide among young people and elderly adults
South Korea has the highest suicide rate in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Poverty is one driving factor for suicide among the elderly – almost half of the senior citizens in the country live with less than half the median disposable income. Many do not want to become a burden for their family financially and commit suicide as a result of not being able to support themselves. For the younger population, education pressure, cyberbullying, as well as social media trends have been linked to suicidal behavior.
Suicide prevention
As a result of the elevated rate of suicide in the country, the South Korean government implemented the 'Strategies to Prevent Suicide (STOPS)' project. This initiative aimed to increase public awareness, as well as to increase government support. South Korea’s education ministry also created a smartphone app that can be used to detect suicidal language in students’ social media posts and messages.