Teen suicides keep rising as school stress takes toll

Youth suicides rise in Korea amid academic pressure and emotional suppression. gettyimagesbank

A tragic incident in Busan involving the deaths of three art high school students who left behind a message about academic and career-related stress has reignited national concern over the mental health of teenagers.

As Korea sees a steady increase in youth suicides, experts point to extreme academic pressure and a culture that discourages emotional expression as key contributing factors.

The three students, all aspiring dancers, died on Saturday in what authorities suspect was a group suicide. Their note cited the emotional toll of academic and career concerns.

According to Statistics Korea, the suicide rate among teens reached 7.9 per 100,000 people in 2023, the highest on record. While suicide rates for most other age groups have fallen since 2011, the rate for teens has climbed from 5.5 to 7.9.

“Academic and college entrance stress” remains the most common reason for suicidal ideation among teenagers, according to a Statistics Korea social survey.

Last year, 4.5 percent of respondents aged 13 to 19 reported having suicidal thoughts, with 32.9 percent citing school performance or entrance exam pressure, a 3.2-point increase from 2020.

Other cited causes included physical or mental illness and depression (23.4 percent), bullying or conflicts with peers (12.6 percent) and loneliness (12.1 percent).

Similar tragedies have occurred in recent years. In 2022, two high school sophomores in Incheon died by suicide after leaving a letter describing the agony of academic pressure.

Despite growing awareness, many of these students showed no outward signs of distress before their deaths, making it difficult for even parents and teachers to intervene in time.

Career, grade pressure fuel stress

Experts and educators say systemic changes in Korea’s education system may be worsening the problem.

The increased emphasis on early career planning — through policies like the high school credit system and holistic student record-based college admissions — has added to students’ burden.

“Career-focused education has benefits, but it also marginalizes students who haven’t yet found a clear direction,” said Won Ju-hyun, head of the Secondary School Teachers’ Union.

Won added that students are increasingly anxious about grades, with intense competition sometimes coming down to decimal points in school grades. “Because freshman-year grades carry so much weight, students often feel that a single misstep early on is impossible to recover from,” Won said.

Cultural factors also play a role. Unlike their Western counterparts, Korean teens rarely show behavioral warning signs before suicide.

“In the West, troubled teens may engage in substance abuse or antisocial behavior, but in Korea, those who die by suicide are often quiet and well-behaved,” said Lee Yeon-jeong, a psychiatrist at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Seoul. “This likely stems from a cultural norm that discourages expressing hardship.”

With President Lee Jae Myung having expressed special concern over suicide prevention, some experts hope youth mental health will become a national priority. But they warn that real change will require more than reactive measures.

“The continued rise in student suicides is a serious warning that the current exam-centric education system has reached its limit,” said the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union in a statement Tuesday. “We need to move away from a performance-driven model that suffocates our youth and return to an education that fosters joy in learning and personal growth.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.