South Korea reports highest suicide rate among OECD nations: What's pushing people to take their lives?

Life in South Korea may seem ideal but all is not good in the East Asian country as a recent report suggests that it emerged as the nation with the highest rate of suicide among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2022.

Although suicides per 100,000 South Koreans saw a slight dip in 2022, from 26 to 25.2, the country is still an OECD member with the highest number of people that take the drastic step.

In 2022, 12,906 took their lives, as per Statistics Korea.

The Asian nation had the highest suicide rate among OECD nations member countries and is also at the highest level among other advanced parts of the world.

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Meanwhile, Lithuania came a distant second to South Korea with 18.5 per 100,000 people followed by Japan with 15.4 and Belgium with 14.8, according to the OECD data.

Why are suicides so rampant in S.Korea?

There’s not just one reason behind what’s driving South Koreans to take their own lives. From economic to social and cultural factors, the lives of the people of South Korea are grimmer than it seems.

When it comes to the youth, South Korean society, defined by high competition and the pressure to succeed, becomes unbearable for some, eventually leading to psychological problems.

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Experts have time and again flagged the dangers of a society that puts so much importance on a person’s success in terms of money or social status.

Suicide among K-pop stars

One might think that high societal pressures only lead to suicides among the common man. Recent deaths among K-pop stars in South Korea highlight that suicide is also prevalent among celebrities.

Over the years, as many as seven K-pop singers have committed suicide owing to the pressures of stardom.

What is the government doing?

The government has been working at a war footing pace to tackle the suicide crisis in South Korea.

Last year, the South Korean government announced a five-year plan to prevent suicides to reduce the country’s rate by 30 per cent.

In December, the government rolled out a plan that would offer mental health check-ups for young South Koreans from the age of 20 to 34 and other counseling services tailored for all age groups.

The country also has an app that warns parents when their children are at risk of suicide.