Government Announces Measures to Halve Youth Suicide Rate by 2035
Youth suicide rate measures: the government aims to cut it in half by 2035 Also confirms a solution to entrance exam stress, which is missing amid the expansion of AI detection and counseling
The government has announced an allgovernment measure to reduce the youth suicide rate to half of its current level by 2035. The Ministry of Education, together with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the National Police Agency, unveiled prevention, detection, intervention, recovery, and foundationbuilding measures that examine the overall growth environment of young people.
This measure includes expanding school education, providing parent education, detecting signs of crisis using artificial intelligence, and increasing the number of professional counseling staff. The government also decided to broaden the scope of monitoring and support to online environments outside school and to promote the introduction of youthonly wards.
However, some pointed out that it lacks measures to address structural causes such as easing academic stress and competition for college admissions. A teachers' group criticized it for being limited to strengthening counseling and treatment, saying that fundamental measures such as restoring school communities and building a system to support students in emotional crisis are necessary.