Student Again Chooses Extreme Measures... "Need for Social Support System"

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] A high school student in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, reportedly took their own life, causing sorrow in the community. As the number of youths making extreme choices has increased since the spread of COVID-19, there are calls to establish a social support system.

According to the Suwon Nambu Police Station on the 28th, an 18-year-old high school student living in Gwanggyo New Town, Suwon, jumped from a high-rise apartment and died on the 20th. Police who arrived at the scene at 7 a.m. that day found no evidence of foul play and are investigating the exact circumstances, presuming it was a case of suicide.

Police reported that no suicide note was found. The student was not known to suffer from depression or mental illness and reportedly had no conflicts with family or friends. However, considering that the student, who usually maintained a top grade in school, recently dropped to a third-grade level, police are focusing on academic disappointment in their investigation.

Cases where examinees driven by competition become despondent over not meeting the expectations of those around them and take extreme actions are not new. Especially since COVID-19, such cases have increased. According to the Ministry of Education, before COVID-19 in 2019, 2.5 students per 100,000 made extreme choices, but last year the number rose to 3.6.

The call to establish a social support system for preventing youth suicide is growing for this reason. Professor Jung Ik-jung of Ewha Womans University’s Department of Social Welfare explained, "Schools are not just places for learning but spaces to learn social relationships and heal emotional wounds. After COVID-19, government follow-up measures are necessary to manage youths expressing feelings of depression."

※ If you have difficult-to-express worries such as depression or know family or acquaintances facing such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling at suicide prevention hotline ☎1393, mental health counseling ☎1577-0199, Hope Phone ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, and Youth Phone ☎1388.