Seoul's Seocho-gu district office held a suicide prevention capacity-building session Friday for about 120 members of its dong-level community social security councils at the second-floor auditorium of the district office.
The dong-level community social security councils are public-private partnership bodies formed voluntarily to identify welfare blind spots and support vulnerable residents. Working closest to local communities, their members connect neighbors in need with appropriate welfare services. Life-guardian members within each dong council also carry out suicide prevention activities targeting residents at risk of social isolation.
Since the councils were established in 2014, the district has consistently provided specialized training to strengthen members' welfare capabilities. Last year's session focused on identifying and supporting socially isolated households. This year, in line with the government's national suicide prevention policy, the district organized training under the theme "Community Leader Life-Guardians," aimed at reinforcing the human safety net at the community level and enabling members to recognize suicide warning signs early and connect at-risk individuals with the support they need.
Son Jeong-mo, head of the counseling planning team at the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention's counseling support center, led the session using "See, Listen, Speak 2.0" — the Ministry of Health and Welfare's standard suicide prevention education program. The curriculum covered recognizing and understanding suicide warning signs, active listening and communication techniques in crisis situations, how to refer individuals to professional agencies, and guidance on the role of community life-guardians.
The district's 252 dong community social security council members are among the first to encounter residents facing complex crises — including isolation, reclusiveness and financial hardship — in their daily lives. The district said it hopes the session will serve as an opportunity to share the importance of identifying and supporting crisis households experiencing not only poverty or care-related difficulties, but also psychological and emotional distress, at an early stage.
"The dong community social security council members are our steadfast welfare partners who know their neighborhoods best — they watch carefully over isolated neighbors and families in need of care, never missing even the smallest warning sign," district mayor Jeon Seong-su said. "We will continue to actively support their work so we can build a tightly woven local welfare safety net."
If you're thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare's helpline 1393, available 24/7. Please request a translator for English-language services.
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