Eungjungwi to Issue Correction Recommendations for Using 'Geukdan(jeok) Selection' in Article Titles Starting Next Month

"Active Choice May Encourage Imitation Risk"
Objective Terms Like 'Death' and 'Pass Away' Should Be Used

From now on, when reporting suicide incidents, using the expressions 'extreme choice' or 'extreme selection' in article headlines will result in corrective recommendations from the Korea Press Arbitration Commission.

On the 15th, the Korea Press Arbitration Commission (hereinafter 'KPAC') announced that starting May 1, it will recommend corrections for articles using the expressions 'extreme choice' or 'extreme selection' in headlines related to suicide incidents. Until now, media outlets have complied with the 'Suicide Reporting Guidelines 3.0,' which advise against using the term 'suicide' in headlines, instead using expressions like 'extreme choice.'

Press Arbitration Commission
Photo by Yonhap News

However, KPAC explained that such expressions can mislead people into perceiving suicide as an active choice by the deceased, fostering the mistaken belief that 'suicide is one of the available options.' They also pointed out that terms like 'extreme choice' may encourage copycat suicides among individuals in similar situations. Additionally, experts have expressed the opinion that it is inappropriate to view the act of taking one's own life?done under severe emotional distress and impaired rational judgment?as a personal choice.

Therefore, KPAC stated that when reporting on suicide incidents is unavoidable, it is appropriate to use objective expressions such as 'death' or 'passed away.' KPAC has previously recommended corrections for reports that disclose personal information of suicide victims or their families, describe suicide locations and methods in detail, or make definitive statements about suicide motives. Furthermore, the 'Suicide Reporting Guidelines 3.0,' jointly prepared by the Korea Journalists Association, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Korea Life Respect and Hope Foundation, advise using objective expressions focusing on the fact of death, such as 'death' or 'passed away,' instead of terms like 'suicide,' 'took one's own life,' 'extreme choice,' 'hanged to death,' or 'died by jumping.'

Jo Nam-tae, head of the KPAC deliberation office, said, "Considering the tragic reality where one person dies by suicide every 40 minutes, 36 people a day, and 12,000 people a year, we must do everything possible to reduce the suicide rate even slightly." He added, "Refraining from using terms that may instill incorrect perceptions in readers during suicide reporting could be the starting point for efforts to reduce copycat suicides."

Earlier, in January last year, Professor Na Jong-ho of Yale University School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry appeared on the tvN entertainment program 'You Quiz on the Block' and said, "When the media reports on suicide, it should not appear as if it is part of a choice. Saying that people who passed away due to mental illness or other reasons 'chose' to die can give a negative impression." He also noted, "Surviving family members often suffer from guilt," highlighting the problems with the expression 'extreme choice' on multiple occasions.