South Korea suicide prevention hotline response rate falls below 50%

The response rate for South Korea’s suicide prevention hotline, ‘109’, has dropped below 50% despite a massive surge in call volume. Data provided by Representative Heo Jong-sik of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee shows that calls to the hotline nearly doubled from approximately 176,864 in 2022 to 352,914 last year.

While demand has risen steadily, the connection rate has plummeted from 62.0% in 2022 to 47.3% last year. This decline means more than half of the individuals seeking urgent help are unable to reach a counselor.

The shortage is attributed to chronic staffing issues at the two operating call centers. The first center, with a capacity of 100, had only 74 active employees by the end of last year, while the second center, established in October 2023, operated with only 30 out of its 50 allotted staff.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to double the capacity of the second center and aims to fill all 200 positions across both centers by the end of next month. However, Representative Heo has questioned the effectiveness of simply increasing quotas when existing positions remain unfilled, calling for a thorough review of the response system to ensure citizens in crisis receive timely assistance.