Establishment of "National Suicide Response Office" and Intensive Management for High-Risk Groups

Joint “Suicide Emergency Response Enhancement Plan” by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Related Ministries

Comprehensive Initial Counseling and Temporary Protection Services for All Suicide Attempters

Expansion of Mental Health Crisis Beds from 391 to 2,000

The government is establishing a new emergency response system under which the state will take responsibility for those at high risk of suicide—including individuals who have attempted suicide and bereaved families—from the initial detection of crisis, through treatment, to post-discharge management and recovery of daily life. The plan includes creating a "National Suicide Response Office" with participation from police, fire, and health authorities, as well as introducing comprehensive initial counseling and temporary protection services for all individuals who attempt suicide and expanding mental health crisis treatment infrastructure with the aim of reducing repeated suicide attempts.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on July 28 that it had reported the “Suicide Emergency Response Enhancement Plan,” which was prepared jointly with related ministries, at a Cabinet meeting. This plan is the second follow-up measure among the “Nine Major Sectoral Suicide Prevention Plans” announced by the government in May. The focus is on strengthening the state's emergency response for high-risk groups, such as suicide attempters and bereaved families.

Although the number of suicide deaths has been declining year-on-year every month since October of last year, the government believes that ensuring this downward trend is sustained will require immediate intervention in crises and stronger post-crisis management. According to provisional data, there were 1,061 suicide deaths in April 2026—a 15.7% decrease compared to the same month last year. The average decrease rate for January to April this year was 12.8%.

The government judged that the current response system has limits in preventing repeat suicide attempts after the initial attempt. Every year, law enforcement and fire authorities respond to approximately 51,000 suicide attempt incidents, but only 3,738 on-site responses are made by suicide prevention centers, accounting for around 7%. Additionally, 94.2% of individuals referred by police or fire authorities either refuse counseling or have their personal data deleted, preventing continuous case management. People who have attempted suicide are 25 times more likely, and bereaved families 22.5 times more likely, to die by suicide than the general public.

Accordingly, the government will establish a new five-stage response system: "Crisis Detection – Dispatch and Initial Response – Stabilization and Treatment – Intensive Post-Discharge Management – Recovery of Daily Life." First, the suicide prevention hotline 109 will be significantly strengthened by increasing the number of counselors from the current 103 to 200 by October. A newly established "Rapid Response Team" will enable emergency crisis calls to be immediately connected to the police. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be used to assist with case note-taking and counseling history analysis. The exposure of suicide prevention content will also be expanded through the "109 Notification Campaign" and social networking service (SNS) platforms.

In particular, the “National Suicide Response Office,” staffed jointly by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Police Agency, and National Fire Agency, will be established in two regions: the Seoul metropolitan area and the midland region. The Response Office will monitor suicide-related situations in real time, assess risks on-site, allocate hospital beds, coordinate support with follow-up agencies, and oversee unresolved issues.

On-site response will also be enhanced. The number of joint response teams—dispatching police together with mental health professionals—will be increased. If on-site dispatch is not feasible, risk assessments using video will be explored. Responders will be provided with additional allowances and a new counseling program to prevent burnout. A pilot "temporary protection service" will be launched to allow suicide attempters to stay for up to 24 hours before returning home, during which they will receive counseling, recovery assistance, and be connected to case management.

Mental health crisis services will be designated as essential medical care, and the number of regional mental health crisis medical centers will be expanded from 13 to 17 by 2030. The number of intensive care beds for acute psychiatric illness will grow from 391 to 2,000, and the nationwide expansion of an innovative emergency patient transfer system will be pursued.

To ensure sustained post-discharge care for suicide attempters, the number of emergency room–based "Life Love Crisis Response Centers" will be increased to 103 by 2027. There will also be a dedicated system for persistently persuading and visiting people who refuse counseling or treatment. The hospital-based case management and day-care programs for discharged patients will also be expanded. In addition, as soon as a suicide incident occurs, the government will provide psychological support to bereaved families, schools, and workplaces, and analyze the causes of each incident to improve related systems.

Eunkyung Chung, Minister of Health and Welfare, said, "It is the state's rightful duty to identify and closely protect even one more person among such high-risk groups as those who have attempted suicide," adding, "We will dramatically expand pre- and post-crisis management systems, including the new Response Office, so that high-risk groups can receive uninterrupted necessary support, thereby further strengthening the safety net for life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.