South Korean student suicides hit record high, up 65% since 2020

In 2025, the number of South Korean school students who took their own lives reached a record high of 244, marking a staggering 64.9% increase since 2020, according to government data obtained by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Moon-soo. The Education Ministry reported that the deaths involved six elementary school students, 92 middle school students, and 146 high school students, representing a 10.4% rise from 2024 and a significant 64.9% increase from the 148 deaths recorded in 2020, when the ministry began compiling the data.

Seoul, Busan, and South Gyeongsang province experienced the highest number of student suicides, with Seoul seeing a 27.5% increase from 40 deaths in 2024 to 51 in 2025, Busan recording 22 deaths, more than tripling the seven reported in 2024, and South Gyeongsang reporting 25 deaths, a 25% increase from 20 in 2024. Gyeonggi province, home to the country's largest student population, saw 51 deaths, a decrease from the 63 recorded in 2024 and the province's lowest figure since 2021.

Family issues were cited as contributing factors in 77 cases, followed by mental health concerns in 58, academic and career worries in 54, and interpersonal relationships in 38. The contributing factors were unknown in 79 cases, with the possibility of multiple factors being recorded for each death.

The government has announced a nationwide teenage suicide prevention strategy, aiming to reduce the suicide rate among the age group by approximately half by 2035. Kim Moon-soo emphasized the need for collaboration among various education authorities and schools to prevent student suicides, highlighting the importance of strengthening existing mental health support programs.