On the 26th, the pan-government Life Guardian Promotion Headquarters under the Office for Government Policy Coordination visited Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province to review the current status of suicide prevention efforts and hear on-site opinions. The meeting was attended by officials from Gangwon Province, suicide prevention centers, the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency, the Gangwon Fire Headquarters, and the Gangwon Office of Education.
The visit was prompted by a change in the numbers. From January to May this year, suicide deaths fell by 733 compared with the same period last year. The Life Guardian Headquarters has set a target of reducing the annual total by 1,000 and is touring local sites across all 16 metropolitan cities and provinces in turn.
According to Statistics Korea’s cause-of-death statistics, 14,872 people died by suicide in 2024, averaging 40.6 deaths per day. The suicide rate per 100,000 people was 29.1, the highest since 2011. For that reason, suicide prevention policy has been treated as a national task extending beyond the public health sector.
Experts generally point to a combination of factors behind the decline, including the activation of the pan-government response system, closely tailored local government programs, and improved access to counseling. However, since suicide is a complex issue involving the economy, employment, and social atmosphere, they caution that it is difficult to attribute the change to any single policy.
Why Gangwon Province was chosen
Gangwon Province is considered one of the most difficult regions for suicide prevention efforts. With low population density and villages scattered across mountainous areas, the physical distance to counseling centers or hospitals is long. In places with infrequent public transportation, simply getting to an institution can be a high barrier for someone in need of help.
The relatively high share of elderly people living alone is another challenge. There are fewer people nearby who can notice warning signs, while mental health service personnel are concentrated in cities. Participants in the meeting shared the view that policies reflecting local characteristics and practically working on the ground are needed.
A local experiment: neighbors protecting neighbors in Gangwon
Gangwon’s answer is neighbors. Village heads and heads of local neighborhood units, who are familiar with community conditions, were appointed as “life guardians” so they can connect residents showing signs of risk with support agencies. A life guardian is someone who recognizes warning signs and serves as a bridge to professional institutions. It is a practical method that can be used in regions where it is difficult to expand specialist staffing.
Internationally, this role is called a “gatekeeper.” The World Health Organization has also identified it as a proven preventive measure.
Neighbors who see one another every day may notice changes before professionals do. They can tell if someone is skipping meals, stopping going outside, or saying things unlike their usual self. The earlier such changes are detected, the faster help can be connected.
Efforts to reach people through culture are also underway. The suicide-prevention musical “109 Chorus,” created jointly by public and private partners including the Gangwon Provincial Theater Troupe, will be performed eight times starting in November in Goseong, Taebaek, Inje, and Chuncheon. The aim is to broaden awareness of the value of life through a performance format that feels less burdensome than lectures and to ease the atmosphere in which people find it difficult to talk about mental health.
There is also meaning in the number used for the counseling line. The 109 counseling hotline, introduced in 2024, merged several separate counseling numbers into a single three-digit number to make it easier to remember. The musical’s title, “109 Chorus,” was also taken from this.
Gangwon Province is also focusing on post-discharge follow-up for suicide attempters based in emergency rooms. People who have attempted suicide are known to be at high risk of trying again. Field assessments say that connecting them to counseling and welfare support after emergency treatment, instead of simply sending them home, has a strong effect in preventing repeat attempts.
What is needed to sustain the downward trend
Song Min-seop, head of the headquarters, said, “In regions with low population density, it is important for the private sector, local governments, and the central government to share capabilities and unite their efforts. This year’s decline in Gangwon is the result of the whole region working together with one mind. We will support this from the pan-government level so the trend can be strengthened.”
It is too early to be optimistic. The drop of 733 is a figure before annual statistics are finalized. Korea’s suicide rate remains at the highest level among OECD member countries. In its basic suicide prevention plan, the government has set a goal of sharply reducing the suicide rate. Expanding local counseling personnel and budgets, and reducing the stigma that discourages people from seeking mental health treatment, remain key tasks.
The Life Guardian Headquarters’ touring inspections also serve as a pathway for spreading best practices to other regions. Models like the neighborhood-level life guardians, which are inexpensive and tailored to local conditions, can be readily adopted by other rural and coastal local governments.
There are things individuals can do as well. If someone around you shows words or behavior that are different from usual, start by asking how they are and not brushing it off. If they say they are struggling, it is better to listen and help connect them with a professional institution rather than judge or pressure them.
If you are experiencing difficult concerns that are hard to talk about, such as depression, or if a family member or acquaintance nearby is going through such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling through the suicide prevention hotline 109 or the youth counseling hotline 1388.
우울감 등 말하기 어려운 고민이 있거나 주변에 이런 어려움을 겪는 가족·지인이 있을 경우 자살예방 상담전화 109, 청소년 상담전화 1388에서 24시간 전문가 상담을 받을 수 있다.
