Meeting chaired by deputy district mayor draws Gangbuk Police Station and key departments to discuss integrated response framework; health, welfare, employment and police cooperation to be reinforced for early identification through crisis intervention
Seoul's Gangbuk-gu, led by District Mayor Lee Soon-hee, held a joint meeting of related departments and the local police station, chaired by the deputy district mayor, on May 27 to advance its safety net for people at high risk of suicide.
The meeting was convened in line with the government's suicide prevention policy direction, with the aim of strengthening a local government-centered integrated response system and discussing inter-agency cooperation for the early identification of high-risk individuals and swift crisis intervention.
Attendees included the deputy district mayor, officials from the Gangbuk-gu Public Health Center, the Administrative Affairs Division, the Welfare Policy Division and the Youth Employment Division, as well as representatives from the Gangbuk Police Station's Criminal Investigation Unit and Crime Prevention Response Unit.
Participants shared the government's suicide prevention policy direction and reviewed Gangbuk-gu's suicide statistics, then examined the cooperative framework for early identification and rapid response. They also discussed ways to strengthen coordination across the police, welfare and employment sectors.
A particular focus of the meeting was reinforcing the information-sharing system between the district and the police station for suicide attempt cases and bolstering the initial joint response framework. Participants also addressed ways to improve information linkages to support bereaved families when a suspected suicide death occurs.
The meeting additionally covered the use of community service centers and local social security councils to identify households in crisis, as well as plans to connect individuals facing economic hardship — identified through employment counseling — to mental health screenings and public health center services.
The district currently runs a range of suicide prevention programs, including a QR-code-based mental health screening service integrated into daily life, counseling and case management for high-risk individuals, support for suicide-bereaved families, a "Life-Respecting Safe Village" initiative, and management of high-risk locations and means restriction.
Going forward, the district plans to institutionalize its integrated response framework by conducting regular reviews of suicide attempt cases and holding monthly suicide prevention meetings. It also intends to expand the number of neighborhoods and organizations participating in the Life-Respecting Safe Village program and to strengthen gatekeeper training for frontline welfare and employment workers.
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