All students in elementary, middle and high schools, along with employees at public institutions in Korea, must now undergo annual suicide prevention education, as part of stepped-up government efforts to address suicide, which is the leading cause of death among young Koreans, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tuesday.
The Cabinet approved a revised enforcement ordinance of the relevant law, mandating students as well as workers at state-run institution 커뮤니티 and hospitals to undergo training in self-harm prevention. This new requirement will come into effect starting this Friday.
According to the new rule, administrators of these organizations must create a training program for self-harm prevention and offer it at least once a year to students and employees, either in-person or online. They are also required to report the outcomes to the health ministry or other Cabinet-level departments.
Higher education institutions and private businesses with at least 30 employees have also been advised to join the campaign and take advantage of government resources.