An SOS emergency phone installed on a bridge over the Han River in Seoul offers 24-hour counseling for people in crisis. Authorities report that the service has handled nearly 10,000 consultations and helped prevent 2,203 suicide attempts between 2011 and 2024. (Life Insurance Social Responsibility Foundation)
An SOS emergency phone installed on a bridge over the Han River in Seoul offers 24-hour counseling for people in crisis. Authorities report that the service has handled nearly 10,000 consultations and helped prevent 2,203 suicide attempts between 2011 and 2024. (Life Insurance Social Responsibility Foundation)

South Korea is launching a monitoring center powered by artificial intelligence to curb a surge in suicide-related content online, as the country continues to grapple with the highest suicide rate among developed nations.

President Lee Jae Myung has called suicide a "social disaster" and directed officials to develop a dedicated response mechanism. In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Sunday that it will establish a centralized monitoring center within the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention by late 2027.

The system will use AI to flag posts recruiting suicide partners, detailing methods of self-harm or promoting suicide in ways that could pose a risk to vulnerable parties.

Government data shows the urgency. In 2024 alone, more than 400,000 pieces of suicide-related content were detected online, up from just over 90,000 in 2020, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The foundation’s own monitoring team has removed tens of thousands of such posts and videos, but the government says stronger infrastructure is essential to respond in real time.

South Korean Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong (left) leads a discussion with suicide prevention experts at the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention in central Seoul on July 25. (Yonhap)
South Korean Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong (left) leads a discussion with suicide prevention experts at the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention in central Seoul on July 25. (Yonhap)

The move comes as suicide rates continue to rise among nearly every age group except the oldest population.

South Korea has had the highest suicide rate among member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development since 2003. Last year, 14,439 people in the country died by suicide (a rate of 28.3 per 100,000), according to government statistics. Youth suicides in particular have climbed sharply. Among people under 19, the suicide rate rose from 2.6 per 100,000 in 2017 to 4.6 in 2023.

Middle-aged and young adult groups are seeing similar trends, driving concern that long-standing national prevention strategies have failed to reverse the pattern.

In addition to the monitoring system, the government is scaling up its support for families affected by suicide. A one-stop assistance program currently operating in 12 regions will be expanded nationwide by 2027. These services include emergency housing, administrative and legal support, trauma cleaning services and financial aid for education. The goal is to help bereaved families return to daily life while mitigating the disruption and lessening stigma.

Lifesaving buoys display “109,” the national suicide prevention hotline, on the Han River as part of an awareness campaign led by the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Health Ministry on Jan. 9 this year. (Jeski Social Campaign)
Lifesaving buoys display “109,” the national suicide prevention hotline, on the Han River as part of an awareness campaign led by the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Health Ministry on Jan. 9 this year. (Jeski Social Campaign)

Suicide prevention efforts at the community level are also being bolstered. With a supplementary budget of 2.55 billion won ($1.84 million), the government has allocated 400 million won to expand grassroots programs that train community members to recognize warning signs and connect individuals at risk with mental health services.

Public access to support services is also being upgraded. The national suicide prevention hotline (109) will open a second call center in October, adding 40 counselors to its existing team of 100. Demand for the hotline rose sharply last year, reaching more than 322,000 calls, a 47 percent increase from the previous year.

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If you’re thinking about self-harm or suicide, dial the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 109, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.


mjh@heraldcorp.com