A total of 199 minors took their own lives in the first half of this year, extending a steady rise in youth suicides in South Korea. The increase was concentrated among girls, prompting calls for closer scrutiny of how expanding online communication through social media and exposure to harmful or negative content affect adolescent mental health.
Data obtained from the Ministry of Health and Welfare by Rep. Lee Joo-young of the Reform Party, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, showed that 199 minors died by suicide in the first half of this year, 10 more than in the same period a year earlier. The data was released on the 6th.
Annual figures show the same trend. The number of minors who died by suicide rose from 273 in 2016 to 338 in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reached 399 last year. The suicide rate among minors, measured as deaths per 100,000 people, climbed to 8.6 last year from 8.0 in 2024.
The share of adolescents who have attempted suicide is also rising. According to the National Data Office, the attempted suicide rate among middle and high school students increased to 2.7% last year from 2.0% in 2020. That means roughly three out of every 100 students have attempted suicide. Broader indicators point in the same direction: 25.7% of adolescents reported experiencing depression last year, while 41.3% said they felt stressed.
The rise was most pronounced among girls. In the first half of this year, 97 male minors died by suicide, down 11 from the same period two years earlier, while the figure for females rose by seven to 102. Experts say girls may be more sensitive to relationship conflicts, comparisons of physical appearance and negative content encountered on social media.
"Society as a whole needs to consider ways to reduce teenagers' exposure to negative interactions online," said Hong Hyun-joo, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital. "Students should be able to experience healthy relationships at school, and communication with parents at home should be strengthened to address isolation, one of the main risk factors for suicide."
The government also sees some link between heavier social media use and the rising youth suicide rate, but is not considering a blanket regulation of social media.
"Teenagers are not accustomed to expressing their difficulties or asking for help on their own, so careful observation by those around them and early intervention are crucial," Lee said. "The government should closely examine the causes of the rise in suicides among teenagers and build an effective prevention system that detects warning signs early and quickly connects them to professional counseling and treatment."
