South Korea announces new suicide prevention policy and honors hospital

South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare has unveiled the ‘6th Basic Plan for Suicide Prevention (2026–2030)’, aiming to reduce the suicide rate to 18.9 per 100,000 people by 2030. The new policy shifts from a reactive ‘application-based’ system to a proactive model that identifies high-risk individuals by addressing socio-economic factors such as poverty, debt, and social isolation. Key initiatives include using AI to detect crisis groups, expanding the referral network from police and fire services to include mental health and emergency medical institutions, and removing income limits for suicide attempt treatment support.

During the 2026 Suicide Prevention Day ceremony, Korea University Ansan Hospital received a commendation from the Minister of Health and Welfare for its contributions to suicide prevention. Since 2014, the hospital’s Life Love Crisis Response Center has managed post-care for 5,066 suicide attempt survivors, providing continuous case management and connecting 1,284 individuals to community resources. The hospital has maintained high performance ratings from the Ministry of Health and Welfare for its emergency room-based post-management programs.