[Hangang Bridge SOS] "A Lifeline Hand... May It Become Hope for Our Society"

③[Interview] Lee Jang-woo, Chairman of Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation
Need to Establish Social Solidarity and Cooperation Networks

On the 22nd, Lee Jang-woo, Chairman of the Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation, stated, “I hope the ‘SOS Lifeline’ installed on the Han River bridges can offer even a little hope to those contemplating extreme choices,” adding, “We are always ready to listen to your stories. There is still warmth and a heart in our society to hold your hand.”

Lee Jang-woo, Chairman of the Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation. [Photo by Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation]

In an interview with Asia Economy on the same day, Chairman Lee said, “As people live through prolonged economic downturns and rapidly changing times, more individuals are expressing economic and psychological difficulties and feelings of depression,” and “some are even considering extreme choices.”

The Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation was established in April 2007 by 18 life insurance companies, including Samsung Life and Kyobo Life, to promote joint social contribution projects. As a key suicide prevention initiative, the foundation installed 75 SOS Lifeline units across 20 Han River bridges and 4 units on the Gupo Bridge in Busan. When the receiver is lifted and the button pressed, counseling services are provided, and in emergencies, a 119 rescue team is dispatched through an established system.

Chairman Lee emphasized, “The SOS Lifeline is an important tool that can provide immediate help to those in crisis and serves as a symbolic role in delivering social messages about suicide prevention and respect for life,” adding, “I believe it positively impacts society in a very concrete and practical way and enhances the value of solidarity.”

On average, 1 to 2 calls are received daily from the Han River. Questions are asked about the caller’s purpose for being on the bridge and their suicide plans, and if the situation is judged to be a crisis, a report is made to 119. Chairman Lee explained, “Police and fire services respond immediately, and arrival time at the scene can be as fast as within 5 minutes,” adding, “CCTV is installed on 14 Han River bridges, allowing the Fire Control Center to monitor the caller’s situation in real time, and plans are in place to install CCTV on the remaining bridges.”

The SOS Lifeline also features an emergency report button for responding to witnessed suicide attempts. Chairman Lee introduced, “The green button on the phone connects to counseling, while the red button connects directly to 119,” and “The location of the reported phone is also confirmed at the Fire and Disaster Prevention Center. When the emergency report button is pressed, fire and police units can immediately dispatch to the scene.”

Lee Jang-woo, Chairman of the Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation.
[Photo by Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation]

Approximately 200 volunteers work monthly for the SOS Lifeline. Among them, about 20 volunteers who have completed crisis counseling training and obtained certification are selected to serve as official counselors. Chairman Lee said, “Applicants must complete both the Lifeline Telephone Counselor Training Course and the AIR Life Crisis Counselor Certification Course (Level 2 or higher) and pass the qualification exam,” adding, “Volunteers contribute about 4 to 12 hours of service according to their schedules.” He further noted, “Counselors also receive stress and burnout prevention programs once or twice a year,” and “individual counseling is available if personal help is needed.”

The Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation is also dedicated to supporting high-risk groups and preventing youth suicide. Chairman Lee stated, “We provide emergency medical expenses for suicide attempters and psychological treatment costs for suicide survivors,” noting, “Suicide survivors have an 8.3 times higher risk of suicide and over 7 times higher risk of depression compared to the general population. We continue to provide ongoing services through community connections.”

He continued, “The 24-hour professional counseling service ‘Dadeureojulgae,’ based on social networking services (SNS), handles about 50,000 consultations annually, and the metaverse-based youth concern sharing platform ‘Healing Toktok’ offers mentoring,” adding, “We operate various suicide prevention and mental health projects in line with current trends, building a comprehensive system.”

Ultimately, Chairman Lee emphasized that the most important aspect of suicide prevention measures is establishing a network of social solidarity and cooperation. He said, “It is essential to create a multifaceted cooperative system involving all sectors of society, including government, private companies, academia, civic groups, and the media. Through this, we can share social responsibility for suicide prevention and respect for life and jointly seek concrete solutions,” and stressed, “We will continue to lead policy proposals, public campaigns, and educational programs to deeply root the value of respecting life throughout society.”

※If you have difficult-to-talk-about concerns such as feelings of depression or know family or acquaintances experiencing such difficulties, you can receive expert counseling 24 hours a day by calling the suicide prevention hotline ☎109.