Subscribe
E-Paper
South Korea had the highest suicide rate among the member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to the most recent data.
An average of 29.1 people per 100,000 in South Korea committed suicides in 2012, exceeding the OECD average of 12, according to the OECD Health Data 2015.
Hungary followed next with 19.4 people per 100,000 taking their own lives and then Japan with 18.7 percent.
Korea has been posting a sharp increase in its suicide rate since 2000. While suicide rate in Japan remains high, it has been on the decline since 2010.
Suicide is a major concern in the nation; it is also cited as the top cause of death among teens and young people in 2013.
The OECD data also showed that Koreans were not confident about their health. Only 35.1 percent of Koreans considered themselves healthy, nearly half of the OECD average of 68.8 percent, it said.
