Hwaseong City Holds 100-Person Forum for Suicide Prevention among Middle-Aged and Older Men

On the 27th, Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province held the '100-Person Forum for Suicide Prevention among Middle-Aged and Older Men' at the Sapphire Hall of the Purmir Hotel. The event was jointly organized by the Suicide Prevention Subcommittee of the Hwaseong City Community Security Council and the Hwaseong City Suicide Prevention Center.

On the 27th, Jeong Myunggeun, mayor of Hwaseong City, is speaking at the "100-Person Forum for Suicide Prevention among Middle-Aged and Older Men" held at the Hwaseong Prumir Hotel. Provided by Hwaseong City

The forum was organized to develop practical suicide prevention policies by bringing together citizens, experts, and related organizations to address the high suicide rate among middle-aged and older men, who are considered a major high-risk group in the region.

The forum, moderated by Joo Ji-young, Executive Team Leader at the Seoul Suicide Prevention Center, adopted an 'open space' format, allowing all participants to freely engage in discussions as active contributors.

Over 100 practitioners participated in the discussion, including representatives from the Western, Dongtan, and Eastern Public Health Centers of Hwaseong City, the Hwaseong City Suicide Prevention Center, 29 local Community Security Councils and integrated case managers, the Life Love Crisis Response Center at Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, the Association of Counseling-Related Organizations, and local community welfare centers.

During the forum, participants freely exchanged opinions and shared diverse perspectives and experiences from various sectors of the community on topics such as: reasons why middle-aged and older men are unable to seek help in times of crisis; practical suicide prevention measures that can be implemented locally; and strategies to strengthen inter-agency cooperation systems.

Jung Myung-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong City, stated, "Suicide is a serious social issue that must be addressed and resolved not by a single organization, but by the entire community working together," adding, "We will continue our efforts to build a safety net in the community through solidarity with related organizations in the region."

Meanwhile, since 2022, the city has been operating a 'Suicide Prevention Hotline,' and last month launched the Suicide Countermeasures Headquarters to establish a comprehensive inter-agency suicide prevention plan.