Gov't finalizes 6th Suicide Prevention Basic Plan

On Monday, the government announced the completion of a package of measures aimed at preventing suicide in a nation with the highest suicide rates among developed countries for over two decades. The sixth Suicide Prevention Basic Plan was approved during a meeting of the suicide prevention policy committee, chaired by Prime Minister Han Seong-sook.

The plan encompasses reducing motivations for suicide and providing psychological care and counseling. Korea has been updating the suicide prevention basic plan every five years since 2004 to curb suicide rates. The fifth plan was released in 2023 for the period 2023-2027, but the government released the sixth plan earlier due to a surge in suicide rates in 2024.

Korea's suicide rate, defined as the number of suicide deaths per 100,000 people annually, rose to 29.1 in 2024 but decreased to 27.8 in 2025. In the first seven months of this year, there were 7,432 suicides, a 12.3 percent decline (1,043) compared to the same period last year. The country has consistently ranked at the top among OECD member countries in terms of suicide rates.