Police move to tackle high suicide rate of officers

Seoul, August 20 (Yonhap) -- The National Police Agency (NPA) announced Thursday plans to implement extensive suicide prevention initiatives across the entire police force to address the alarming rate of officer suicides. The agency revealed the strategy after documenting an average of 23 police officers committing suicide each year between 2020 and 2024, rising to 25 in 2025.

Over the past five years, the suicide rate among police officers reached 17.7 per 100,000, more than double the 8.6 per 100,000 rate for other public servants. Police officers are frequently subjected to stressful situations, such as witnessing violent crimes, natural disasters, or accidents. To combat this issue, the agency intends to conduct mental health assessments for all police officers every two years, providing necessary assistance like counseling and hospital care when required.

The agency also plans to broaden an existing counseling program, which is currently limited to select departments, to include all officers, ensuring they undergo at least one session annually. Additionally, the scope of emergency psychological support will be expanded to encompass officers affected by disasters or the suicide of a colleague.

The NPA will be the first to offer assistance to those in need and will remain supportive until officers are back to good health, according to Yoo Jae-seong, the acting head of the NPA.