[Hangang Bridge SOS] Bridges Near Safety Railings See Double Suicide Attempts... Concerns Over 'Balloon Effect'

⑤Need for Comprehensive Installation of Suicide Prevention Facilities
Fundamental Measures Such as Mental Counseling and Social Analysis Must Be Established

As safety railings are being installed on Han River bridges as a suicide prevention measure, it has been confirmed that suicide attempts have more than doubled on nearby bridges without such installations. This phenomenon, known as the ‘balloon effect,’ occurs when solving the problem in one place causes it to arise elsewhere. Experts point out that for effective suicide prevention, safety railings must be uniformly installed across all Han River bridges.

Safety Railings Reduce Jumps at Hangang Bridge... Increase at Uninstalled Wonhyo Bridge

According to the ‘Annual Suicide Attempt Status on Han River Bridges’ submitted by the Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters to Kim Hyung-jae, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council from the People Power Party, suicide attempts at Wonhyo Bridge, located between Mapo Bridge and Hangang Bridge, surged by 147% from 17 cases in 2021 to 42 cases in 2023. During the same period, suicide attempts near Mapo Bridge at Seogang Bridge increased by 119%, from 31 to 68 cases, and at Dongjak Bridge near Hangang Bridge, they rose by 35.8%, from 39 to 53 cases.

Safety railings were installed on Mapo Bridge and Hangang Bridge in August and December 2021, respectively. The installation of safety railings on only some Han River bridges is analyzed to have led to an increase in jumpers on surrounding bridges.

The safety railings are 2.5 meters high, making it difficult for people to climb over them, and the upper part is made of wire to avoid obstructing the view. If the wires are spaced more than 10 cm apart, sensors activate and dispatch the 119 rescue team. As a result, suicide attempts at Mapo Bridge increased by 61.8% over two years, which is lower than the average increase rate, while attempts at Hangang Bridge decreased by 23.4%. Considering that the overall increase rate of suicide attempts across 20 bridges in Seoul during the same period was 65.3%, the effectiveness of the safety railings is demonstrated. Installation of safety railings was completed on Jamsil Bridge and Yanghwa Bridge in December last year, and their introduction is being considered for Seogang Bridge and Gwangjin Bridge, among others.

Budget issues are a barrier to the uniform installation of safety railings. According to Seoul’s budget records (Seoul Wiki), the budget for installing safety railings on Han River bridges last year was 15.28678 billion KRW. The budgets allocated were 5.38618 billion KRW for Jamsil Bridge (2.5425 km), 3.822 billion KRW for Hannam Bridge (1.7975 km), and 6.0984 billion KRW for Seogang Bridge (2.84 km). Although costs vary depending on the length and structure of the bridge, it is estimated that about 5 billion KRW is needed to install safety railings on a single bridge.

The 'Seoul Fire Department 119' tape is attached to Mapo Bridge in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Im Chunhan]

Uniform Installation of Safety Railings Needed... Supplementary Measures Urgently Required

Suicide attempts on Han River bridges steadily increased to 1,035 cases last year. By bridge, the numbers were: Mapo Bridge 293, Yanghwa Bridge 111, Seogang Bridge 68, Hangang Bridge 62, Cheonho Bridge 55, Dongjak Bridge 53, Hannam Bridge 48, Yeongdong Bridge 45, Banpo Bridge 43, Wonhyo Bridge 42, Dongho Bridge 40, Jamsil Bridge 37, Gayang Bridge 36, Gwangjin Bridge 31, Seongsu Bridge 23, Others 15, Seongsan Bridge 13, Olympic Bridge 9, Cheongdam Bridge 7, Haengju Bridge 3, Amsa Bridge 1.

In particular, the increase rate of suicide attempts was higher on bridges without CCTV. Currently, 14 out of 20 bridges have CCTV installed at intervals of 80 to 110 meters. Installation began with Mapo Bridge and Seogang Bridge in 2012, followed by Yanghwa Bridge, Wonhyo Bridge, and Dongho Bridge in 2022, and Gayang Bridge last year. As of last year, the increase rate of suicide attempts on 13 bridges with CCTV was only 1.7% compared to the previous year, whereas the 7 bridges without CCTV recorded a 23.5% increase.

Experts emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive installation of safety railings and supplementary measures. Professor Lee Eun-jin of the Graduate School of Social Welfare at Suwon University (Chair of External Cooperation at the Korea Suicide Prevention Association) stated, “Installing suicide prevention facilities on bridges is the most effective measure. If safety railings are installed on all Han River bridges, jumps will decrease,” adding, “On-site response defense systems must be implemented to promote suicide prevention and a culture of respect for life.”

Professor Lee also noted, “While CCTV and alarm lights cannot fundamentally prevent suicide attempts, they enable active crisis response and measures in cooperation with police and fire departments,” and “Suicide prevention messages serve as one way for those contemplating suicide to seek help from suicide prevention centers, mental health welfare centers, and suicide prevention counseling hotlines.”

Professor Je Jin-ju, former professor of Fire and Disaster Prevention at the University of Seoul, said, “Installing safety railings on all Han River bridges would be effective, but it only prevents extreme choices at that location. Ultimately, the balloon effect will appear somewhere else,” emphasizing, “Fundamental measures such as mental counseling to suppress suicidal impulses and analysis of social factors must be prioritized.”

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