Implementation and outcomes of suicide-prevention strategies by restricting access to lethal suicide methods in Korea

For more than 10 years, the suicide rate in South Korea has been the highest among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Suicide-prevention strategies, such as restricting access to lethal suicide methods, have been implemented in Korea. In this paper, we discuss suicide-prevention strategies that restrict access to the five leading methods for committing suicide: pesticide ingestion, inhalation of charcoal fumes, jumping from heights, placing oneself in front of moving subway trains, and hanging oneself by the neck. Of the five suicide-prevention strategies outlined in our study, prohibition of the herbicide paraquat and installation of screen doors were proven to be effective, while others need further assessments. Yet, the overall decline in suicide rate from 31.7 per 100,000 people in 2011 to 27.3 per 100,000 people in 2014 suggests that these suicide-prevention strategies have successfully decreased the suicide rate in Korea.