Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Gov't enlists religious leaders in new bid to combat Korea's suicide crisis
Prime Minister Min-seok, center, signs an agreement at his official residence in central Seoul, during a ceremony held Monday ahead of the inaugural government–religious community roundtable. Joining him, from left, are Na Sang-ho of the Central Headquarters of Won-Buddhism; Kim Jong-hyuk of the United Christian Churches of Korea; Lee Yong-hoon of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea; and Ven. Seong-ung of the Jogye Order. Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
Protestant, Buddhist, Catholic leaders unite in support of initiative
Seeking to address Korea’s persistently high suicide rate, the government and several major religious organizations on Monday signed an agreement regarding respect for life and suicide prevention, vowing to coordinate efforts to provide hope, compassion and support for people in despair.
The agreement came as Prime Minister Kim Min-seok convened the first government–religious community roundtable at his residence in Seoul, bringing together representatives from various faith groups, including the United Christian Churches of Korea, the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Central Headquarters of Won-Buddhism, and the Jogye Order.
Kim underscored the significance of the event as a first step toward establishing a regular, sustainable framework for cooperation between the government and religious leaders on major social issues. The initiative begins with suicide prevention as the first item on the group's shared agenda.
Korea’s long-running public health crisis worsened last year.
According to Statistics Korea’s 2024 report on causes of death, 14,872 people died by suicide in 2023, a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year. The national suicide rate rose to 29.1 per 100,000 — the highest since 2011 — meaning that more than 40 people took their own lives each day. Rates were highest among people in their 30s, followed by those in their 40s and 50s.
The figures underscore Korea’s outlier status among industrialized nations. The country’s age-standardized suicide rate is 26.2 per 100,000 people, more than two and a half times the OECD average of 10.8. A recent OECD report, Health at a Glance 2025, reaffirmed that position, placing Korea at the top of the rankings with a comparable rate of 23.2 per 100,000, compared to the OECD average of 10.7.
In his opening remarks, the prime minister emphasized that suicide is not solely an individual problem but a structural one that society must address collectively. He highlighted the pivotal role faith communities can play in tackling these urgent challenges.
“Religious leaders are often the first to extend a hand to those in people's darkest moments. I hope this agreement will move beyond symbolism to genuinely reduce suicide rates and spread hope across the nation,” Kim said.
Religious leaders expressed strong support for the initiative.
Pastor Kim Jong-hyeok, president of the United Christian Churches of Korea, said, “Protecting and preserving life is a core issue that the government must make its utmost effort to address,” adding, “We will do our very best to actively cooperate on this task.”
Bishop Lee Yong-hoon, chairman of the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said, “As with all religions, placing life as the highest priority and acting accordingly is only natural,” and added, “Through this agreement, I hope our country will become a mentally, morally and ethically healthy society, and the Catholic Church will actively participate in the movement.”
Na Sang-ho, director-general of Central Headquarters of Won-Buddhism, emphasized, “Respect for life is the most important path,” pledging, “In the end, the role that religion can play is that of an embracing and unconditional mother.”
Ven. Seong-ung, director of General Affairs for the Jogye Order, also promised, “Our order will take responsibility for suicide prevention and devote its efforts to truly preventing it.”