Suicide Mortality Among Students in South Korea: An Extended Discussion

Abstract

South Korea, a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, has experienced unprecedented growth within the last 60 years. Commentators frequently attribute the nation’s success to its system of education. Though education has indeed contributed much to the advancement of the nation, its hypercompetitive nature has led to an exponential increase in suicide among school age individuals, ages 9-24. This paper extends discussion from a previous work examining the rise in rate of suicide in South Korea from 1985 to the present time, factors that have contributed to this occurrence, and possible solutions to this societal problem