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The suicide rate in Korea increased for two consecutive years and continued the stigma of being number one in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). In January 2018, the government announced that it would reduce the suicide rate (the number of suicides per 100,000 inhabitants) from 25.6 in 2016 to 17 in 2022 as part of the ‘Big Three Projects to Protect People’s Lives’ , which is rather that the suicide rate is increasing.
According to statistics on causes of death in 2019 from the National Statistical Office on the 22nd, the suicide rate in Korea last year was 26.9, an increase of 0.9% over 2018 (26.6 ). The domestic suicide rate decreased from 28.5 in 2013 to 24.3 in 2017 for four consecutive years, and then increased for two consecutive years after returning to a 2.3-person increase from the previous year in 2018. The Total number of suicides increased from 12,463 in 2017 to 13,670 in 2018 and 13,799 last year. Last year, an average of 38 people a day made extreme decisions.
Last year, suicide was the fifth leading cause of death in all age groups. Suicide is the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 30.
Korea has been unable to lift off the disgrace of being ‘# 1 in the OECD suicide rate’ for 15 years, from 2003 to 2017. The government’s statement two years ago that “by reducing the number of suicides per year to less than 10,000 and removing the stigma of being the number one suicide rate in the OECD ”, has not yet produced results.
Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for the majority of dementia, went from ninth place in 2018 to seventh (13.1 deaths) last year. The Office for National Statistics said that “Alzheimer’s disease, which ranked 13th on the list of causes of death in 2009, is steadily increasing every year.” The death rate from dementia last year, including deaths from Alzheimer’s disease, was 20.2, almost double that of 2009 (11.8) 10 years ago. Last year, the death rate from dementia was 2.3 times higher for women (28.2) than for men (12.2).
Cancer was the leading cause of death last year. The cancer death rate was 158.2 last year, an increase of 3.9 (2.5%) compared to 2018. By cancer type, lung cancer (36.2 patients), cancer liver (20.6 patients), colon cancer (17.5 patients), stomach cancer (14.9 patients) and pancreatic cancer (12.5 patients) were the highest in order. The National Statistical Office said that “the death rate from esophageal cancer (8.2%) and breast cancer (6.8%) increased compared to the previous year, and gastric cancer decreased (-1.6 %) and liver cancer (-0.3%) “.
