Teenagers attempt double suicide in Han River

Korea has installed emergency telephones to deter suicide attempts along the Mapo Bridge which stretches over the Han River in Seoul in this July 14, 2014 photo. Two teenagers jumped into the Han this week in a double suicide attempt but were rescued. / AFP-Yonhap

Two teenage girls who met online attempted suicide by jumping into the Han River in Seoul early Tuesday morning, local police said Wednesday.

Shortly after they plunged into the water, a passerby reported the scene to the police. A rescue team was immediately dispatched and managed to rescue them.

They were moved to a nearby hospital to be treated for hypothermia. They are reportedly in stable condition.

The teenagers, 19 and 15, reportedly met at on an online café focused on suicide. They kept in touch via social media.

“To prevent the recurrence of such incidents, the government should amend the current law to prohibit the operation of online suicide sites,” a police official said. Because the teenagers were rescued, “there is no way to make the homepage operator face legal measures.”