Gangbuk-gu District Mayor Chairs First Meeting of Task Force on Suicide, Social Isolation and Lonely Deaths

Gangbuk-gu District Mayor Jung Chang-su chaired the inaugural meeting of a task force on suicide, social isolation and lonely death prevention on Wednesday at the district office in Seoul.

The task force was established to strengthen cooperation among relevant departments and agencies and to develop joint response measures, as the issues of suicide, social withdrawal and lonely deaths have become increasingly interlinked amid a rise in single-person households and a weakening of social networks.

About 15 people attended, including District Mayor Jung and task force members. Participants shared updates on programs across several areas — mental health management and promotion, suicide prevention and respect for life, support for youth experiencing social withdrawal or at suicide risk, support for isolated young adults, and lonely death prevention — and discussed ways to strengthen coordination and collaboration.

The district plans to use the task force as a hub for sharing information on related programs and target populations, and to deepen cooperation across departments and agencies. The task force will meet once a month, and the next session is expected to feature a guest lecture by a specialist in a relevant field.

"As social isolation and loneliness have emerged as serious social problems, countries are taking active steps — the United Kingdom became the first in the world to establish a ministry dedicated to loneliness, and Japan created a minister for loneliness and isolation," District Mayor Jung Chang-su said. "We formed this task force so that our district can respond more proactively to the issues of suicide, social withdrawal and lonely deaths."

He added that the district would work to bring together the capabilities of departments and related agencies through the task force, build a systematic response framework, and do its utmost to reduce the incidence of suicide, social withdrawal and lonely deaths.

If you're thinking about self-harm or suicide, dial the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 109, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.