241 people took own lives during investigations by police, prosecutors over past 20 years: rights group

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A total of 241 people killed themselves while being investigated as criminal suspects by police or prosecutors over the past 20 years, according to a report released on Monday.

Human Rights Solidarity, a rights group that compiled the report based on news reports and other sources, said the high number of lives lost between 2004 and 2023 could be a sign of the failure of the country’s justice system.

“The purpose of an investigation should be establishing the facts while following due process,” the group said in a press release. “But our criminal justice system pushes such suspects into the extreme corner of death, which is a sign of its failings.”

The figure demonstrates that at least 12 people take their own lives every year even before judges look into their cases, the organization said, adding that the actual number could be higher given that many cases go unreported.

The group added that the system should be reformed to better protect the human rights of such people, urging members of the 22nd National Assembly to take essential steps to make that change as they begin their four-year term this month.

The death of Lee Sun-kyun, an actor from the 2019 film “Parasite,” was what motivated the group to conduct the research. While being investigated over drug accusations, the star was found dead in his car in Seoul on Dec. 27, 2023, at the age of 48.