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Over 400 murder-suicides, 1,500 joint suicides recorded in Korea over 8 years
A man in his 50s, whose name was not disclosed, is escorted from a police station in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, April 24. He was suspected of killing five family members, including his wife and children. Yonhap
By Park Ung
Family issues and financial struggles topped list of motives
More than 400 people in Korea committed murder-suicides and around 1,500 died in suicide pacts with others over an eight-year period, according to a new report.
The numbers highlight how financial pressure, family conflict and other social stresses have fueled some of the most tragic forms of suicide in Korea, with an increasing number of cases shocking the nation in recent years.
In May, a man attempted a murder-suicide by driving into the sea with his wife and two sons after giving the boys sleeping pills. He killed his family but survived himself. He later told police he was overwhelmed due to being around 200 million won ($143,900) in debt. In July, a couple in their 40s and their two teenage children were found dead in a parked car in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, with a note left behind citing financial struggles.
The study, released last month by the National Assembly Research Service, found that 416 people among nearly 108,000 suicide deaths recorded between 2013 and 2020 were murder-suicides, and 1,519 were suicide pacts.
By relationship to the victim, the largest share of murder-suicide cases involved killing a spouse or partner at 36.5 percent, followed by children at 33.7 percent.
Among suicide pacts, 48 percent involved non-family members, including acquaintances or people who met with the intent of dying together, making it the largest share. Spouses or partners accounted for 31.9 percent.
Looking at the main causes, 34.4 percent of murder-suicides stemmed from family relationship problems, followed by financial difficulties at 20.7 percent, interpersonal conflicts at 17.3 percent and mental health issues at 16.6 percent.
For suicide pacts, financial hardship was the leading cause at 33 percent, followed by mental health issues at 24.2 percent and family conflicts at 10.3 percent.
The study found that around 9 percent of those who died in murder-suicides and nearly 20 percent of those in suicide pacts had a history of prior attempts.
Rates of psychiatric diagnoses were similar, with 21.9 percent of murder-suicide perpetrators and 22.8 percent of suicide pact victims having been diagnosed with a mental disorder.
“Suicide pacts occur by mutual agreement, while murder-suicides involve two acts — the violent crime of murder and suicide itself — and should be treated as fundamentally different cases,” the report said.
“In cases of partner murder-suicides, the higher average age suggests possible caregiver killings, while parent-child cases often involve younger victims and should be considered in connection with child abuse,” it added. “Suicide pacts, meanwhile, show higher rates of mental health issues as well as financial difficulties, requiring public health and medical approaches.”
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, contact Korea's Suicide Crisis hotline at 109. For foreign language assistance to connect with mental health professionals, call Danuri Portal's helpline at 1577-1366.