Health ministry unveils emergency plan to curb suicide attempts

The health ministry on Tuesday announced an emergency response plan to strengthen support for high-risk groups.

To improve early detection, the ministry will increase counselors for the 109 suicide prevention hotline from 103 to 200 and introduce artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks.

The strategy expands joint response teams of police officers and mental health professionals. The government will designate mental emergency care as essential medical treatment and expand acute psychiatric beds. Regional mental emergency medical centers will grow from 13 to 17 locations.

Post-discharge support will be reinforced by expanding Life Love Crisis Response Centers from 100 to 103 facilities, granting directors authority to recommend emergency welfare services. Officials plan to establish persistent persuasion teams to visit individuals who refuse consent or lose contact.

A new National Suicide Response Room involving the health, police and fire agencies will oversee decision-making for suicide attempts and deaths. The body will monitor regional indicators to identify rising risks and coordinate strategies between local governments and the private sector.

Jeong Eun-kyeong, the minister of health and welfare, emphasized that identifying and protecting high-risk groups is a fundamental duty of the state. "We will drastically expand pre- and post-management systems, including the response room, to thicken the safety net so that high-risk individuals receive necessary support without interruption," she said.