Hwaseong Mayor Jung Myunggeun: "Suicide Is a Challenge for the Whole Society to Solve"

Joint Response Countermeasure Meeting Held for Suicide Prevention

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province has taken steps to strengthen its joint response system with relevant organizations for suicide prevention.

Jung Myunggeun, mayor of Hwaseong City, is presiding over the 'Suicide Prevention Joint Response Countermeasure Meeting' held at the Hwaseong City Suicide Prevention Center on the 1st. Provided by Hwaseong City

On July 1, Hwaseong City held a 'Joint Response Countermeasure Meeting for Strengthening Suicide Prevention and Crisis Response Systems' at the Hwaseong City Suicide Prevention Center, located in the Dongtan 7-dong Administrative Welfare Center.

Presided over by Mayor Jung Myunggeun, the meeting was attended by representatives from nine organizations: Hwaseong City Western Public Health Center, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Saesaem Hospital, Hwaseong Employment Welfare Plus Center, Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station, Hwaseong Fire Station, Hwaseong City Western Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, Hwaseong City Financial Welfare Counseling Support Center, and Hwaseong City Suicide Prevention Center.

The meeting focused on sharing recent suicide cases and crisis intervention status, as well as discussing practical response measures. In particular, participants emphasized integrated support measures that can connect psychological support systems tailored to each stage of life with post-management for individuals at risk of suicide. They also discussed mental health management strategies, emergency response plans, and support for economic and complex crises, highlighting the need for cooperation in each area.

Mayor Jung stated, "Suicide is no longer an individual issue, but an important challenge that our entire society must address together. We will further strengthen inter-agency cooperation and enhance the speed and effectiveness of crisis response to protect the lives of our citizens."

Since 2023, Hwaseong City has been operating the 'Suicide Prevention Special Mayor's Hotline,' the first initiative of its kind among basic local governments nationwide. The city explained that the hotline has helped save a total of 1,626 lives to date. In addition, Hwaseong City is promoting various suicide prevention projects such as the Citizen Mental Health Experience Center (T.T zone) and the Mind Relief Bus.