Building a Community Safety Net for Suicide Prevention
Gurye County in South Jeolla Province announced that starting in May 2025, it will officially launch the "Life Respect Safe Village" project in collaboration with 22 organizations across five sectors: healthcare, welfare, education, community, and public institutions.
The "Life Respect Safe Village" project is a resident-led initiative aimed at creating a suicide prevention environment and spreading a culture of respect for life. The project provides tailored connection services to county residents at risk of suicide and establishes a community safety net.
Gurye County will officially launch the "Life Respect Safe Village" project starting May 2025 in collaboration with 22 organizations across five sectors: healthcare, welfare, education, community, and public institutions. Photo by Gurye County
The participating organizations will independently select two out of five activities: identifying, intervening, and connecting high-risk groups; conducting suicide prevention awareness campaigns; providing suicide prevention education; supporting customized services for high-risk groups; and restricting access to means of suicide. These activities will be implemented primarily in Gurye-eup, Muncheok-myeon, and Gwangui-myeon.
According to data from Statistics Korea in October 2024, the age-standardized suicide rate in South Jeolla Province increased by 1.9 people compared to the previous year. In particular, Gurye County has a higher suicide risk among middle-aged and elderly residents, and the county plans to further strengthen its region-specific suicide prevention strategies.
County Governor Kim Soonho stated, "Suicide is an issue that all members of society must address together, and solidarity and care within the community are the most powerful means of prevention. Through the establishment of this Safe Village, we will expand the scope of life-respecting practices and continue to strengthen support systems by identifying high-risk groups for mental health."
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