What suicide prevention measures is the National Police Agency introducing for police officers?

The agency will give all officers a mental health checkup every two years and expand routine counseling to the entire force. Officers judged to be at risk will be referred for counseling and, if needed, hospital treatment.

How serious is suicide among Korean police officers?

The NPA said an annual average of 23 officers died by suicide from 2020 to 2024, and the number reached 25 in 2025. Over five years, the suicide rate was 17.7 per 100,000, more than twice that of other public servants.

Why does the police force say officers are at high risk of suicide?

Police said officers are often exposed to traumatic scenes from violent crimes, disasters and accidents. The agency linked that exposure to high stress and said it will expand emergency psychological support for officers affected by disasters or a colleague’s suicide.

Police move to tackle high suicide rate of officers

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Summary

Police said Thursday they will roll out comprehensive suicide prevention measures across the force after reporting that 23 police officers took their own lives on average each year from 2020 to 2024. The figure rose to 25 in 2025. The National Police Agency said officers face severe stress from violent crime scenes, disasters and accidents. Acting NPA chief Yoo Jae-seong said the force will stand by colleagues until they return to work in good health.

Key Facts

Over the past five years, the suicide rate among police officers was 17.7 per 100,000 people, more than double the 8.6 per 100,000 rate for other public servants.
The National Police Agency plans mental health checkups for all officers every two years.
Officers identified as at risk will receive counseling and, if necessary, hospital treatment.
The agency will expand routine counseling from select departments to all officers so they get at least one session a year.
Emergency psychological support will also be expanded to cover officers affected by disasters or a colleague’s suicide.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 20, 2026 3:30 pm KST

This undated file photo shows a police officer mourning the loss of a colleague. Yonhap

Police said Thursday they plan to implement comprehensive suicide prevention measures across the police force to tackle the high rate of suicide among officers.

The National Police Agency (NPA) unveiled the plan after reporting an annual average of 23 police officers taking their own lives between 2020 and 2024. The number came to 25 in 2025.

Over the past five years, the suicide rate among police officers stood at 17.7 per 100,000 people — more than double the rate of 8.6 per 100,000 for other public servants.

Police officers face high levels of stress as they are often exposed to the traumatizing scenes of violent crimes, disasters or accidents.

As part of the prevention measures, the agency plans to introduce a mental health checkup for all police officers every two years. Those found to be at risk will get the necessary help, such as counseling and hospital treatment if necessary.

The agency also plans to expand a routine counseling program, currently provided to select departments, to all officers so that they receive a session at least once a year.

It will also expand the scope of emergency psychological support to include officers affected by disasters or a colleague's suicide, according to the NPA.

"The force will be the first to reach out when help is needed and will stand by colleagues until they return to work in good health," Yoo Jae-seong, acting head of the NPA, said in a statement.

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