Teenage struggles
There is a globally observed pattern called the “gender paradox of suicide.” In sum, women generally attempt suicide more often, but meb are more likely to die from it. However, the suicide rate among girls in Korea is higher than that of boys among those aged 10 to 19. In 2013, the suicide rate of boys and girls was 5.5 and 3.4 per 100,000 people, respectively, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. However, the suicide rate among adolescent girls has increased by 156 percent over the past decade, surpassing the rate for boys for the first time in 2023 (7.1 vs. 8.8) and again in 2024 (7.4 vs. 8.7). The 2025 statistics have not been announced, but the gender paradox has reversed. While the rate of suicide are much higher among adults, such a sharp increase is seen only among girls. Other age groups showed single- or double-digit increases or even decreases over the past 10 years. Korean teen girls are in crisis.
President Lee Jae Myung seems genuinely committed to suicide prevention. At his first Cabinet meeting, the day after the inauguration, his first question was why the suicide rate was so high. He also recently described the high suicide rate as a global embarrassment, so I expected some changes. However, the 2025 National Suicide Prevention Strategy did not recognize the crisis facing teenage girls, although it briefly mentioned the increase in adolescent suicide. Key measures include expanding social and emotional learning in schools and strengthening hotlines. I appreciate the hard work of government officials, but in my opinion, such measures may have limited impact if we do not openly talk about suicide. The problem is silence.
According to research, the risk factors are similar for both genders: depression, anxiety and experiences of violence. But there are also differences. Girls are more influenced by interpersonal relationships with parents, friends, and teachers, which means open communication may be more effective for them. However, I feel we are surrounded by a wall of silence. Even mentioning suicide is almost a taboo in Korea. We say “an extreme choice” rather than “suicide” — although it is NOT a choice! If someone really seems to be at risk, we have to ask directly, “Are you thinking about suicide?”
I learned this through suicide prevention training that I individually received from the Korean Association for Suicide Prevention. I never heard any of this in school. Suicide prevention education at my middle school was just watching videos and filling out worksheets. Moreover, we teens are silenced. As a teen girl passionate about this issue, I’ve tried to find volunteer opportunities, but I couldn’t. Mostly those were monitoring suicide-related content on social media, so I guess adults are tring to protect us. However, we can participate in many other ways.
Rather than being treated only as people to be protected, teenagers should also be included as partners in suicide prevention. The government should create formal channels for adolescents to share their experiences and contribute to policies. Schools should teach students about how to recognize warning signs, ask direct questions and seek help. The crisis among Korean girls cannot be understood without listening to Korean girls themselves. Let’s break the silence. It should be okay to talk about suicide.
If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide, contact Korea's Suicide Crisis hotline at 109. For foreign language assistance, call the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline and ask an English-speaking operator to establish a three-way call with emergency services, or call 1577-1366 to reach Danuri Portal's 24-hour helpline, which provides multilingual counseling and referral services 24 hours a day.
Park Si-yul is a high school student at Asia Pacific International School and serves as vice chair of the 22st National Youth Congress under Korea's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. She cares deeply about youth mental health and suicide prevention.