Last year, 13,900 people took their own lives in Korea, averaging 38 a day. The figure fell 6.5% from a year earlier but remains among the highest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The government set a goal of reducing the number of suicide deaths to below 10,000 by 2029.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Foundation For Suicide Prevention (KFSP) held a public hearing on the 10th at The Westin Josun Seoul in Jung District, Seoul, and released the draft of the "6th Basic Plan for Suicide Prevention (2026–2030)" and the results of a study for the plan. The government said it will finalize the plan after reflecting feedback from the hearing, refining it, and going through deliberation by the Suicide Prevention Policy Committee.
In the 6th basic plan, the government set a goal of reducing the number of suicide deaths, provisionally tallied at 13,900 in 2025, to below 10,000 in 2029, and lowering the suicide rate per 100,000 people from 27.3 in 2025 to 19.4 in 2029 and 18.9 in 2030.
Park Jae-woo, head of the ministry's Suicide Prevention Policy Division, presented as key directions ▲ stronger accountability across all ministries ▲ expanding suicide prevention policy through social safety nets such as poverty and debt ▲ active intervention and treatment in mental health ▲ proactive identification by overcoming the opt-in approach.
The government assessed that while existing suicide prevention policies prepared measures for "what to do," they had limits in confirming "who will participate" and "whether the policies were effective." In particular, even during crises such as economic hardship, finance, and unemployment, responses often stopped at connecting people to mental health services such as the Suicide Prevention Center rather than addressing root causes.
Accordingly, the government plans to strengthen the linkage between welfare, finance, and employment policies and suicide prevention policies.
For example, it will use information on people who attempted suicide to provide integrated health and welfare services and strengthen connections between community mental health welfare centers and financial service providers. It will also pursue measures to identify suicide risk signs among job seekers and the unemployed and connect them to community mental health welfare centers.
Recent suicide trends also show changes in economic factors. According to the research team's analysis, the share of economic and livelihood problems among suicide motives fell from 29.8% in 2025 to 26.4% from January to May this year. In contrast, the share of psychiatric problems showed an upward trend.
Post-management for high-risk groups for suicide will also be strengthened.
When patients admitted for psychiatric emergencies are discharged, mayors, county heads, and district heads will prepare post-discharge support plans and manage them continuously. Adherence to medication among discharged patients will be tracked through in-person or remote follow-ups, and the current pilot project for day-ward hospitalization fees at 73 institutions will be converted into a full program.
The government plans to expand responsibility for suicide prevention policy beyond the Ministry of Health and Welfare to a whole-of-government approach. In the process of formulating the 6th basic plan, 17 ministries participated under the Prime Minister's Office to review existing policies and prepare measures across nine areas.
Although the implementation period for the 5th basic plan is 2023–2027, the government plans to implement the 6th basic plan early.
After establishing the National Suicide Prevention Strategy in September last year, the government announced sector-by-sector suicide prevention measures from June to September this year and has adjusted and integrated existing policies.
Minister Jung Eun-kyeong of the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, "Suicide is not an individual problem but a social problem that our society must solve together," adding, "The government will use the 6th Basic Plan for Suicide Prevention to build a tighter suicide prevention safety net over the next five years so that anyone can receive appropriate help when facing difficulties."