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Suicide the top killer as Koreans in their 40s endure financial burdens, cultural expectations

Published: 30 Oct. 2025, 07:00

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

A distressed man buries his face in his hands. [GETTY IMAGES]

Earlier this year, a self-employed man in his 40s was found dead in a parking area in an apartment complex in Suwon, Gyeonggi. Two clues to his death were security camera footage showing him heading to the top floor of a building and a text message urging an acquaintance to pay him back.

In the end, police concluded that he had taken his own life.

He died of the leading cause of death among his peers. Last year marked the first time in Korea that suicide was the primary cause of death among people in their 40s — especially among men of that age group, who experience suicide rates more than double those of women.

Of all deaths in that demographic range, suicide accounted for 26 percent with 2,817 cases — equivalent to 36.2 people per 100,000 taking their own lives. Cancer was a close second at 24.5 percent with 2,659 deaths, while hepatic disease was the third-most common cause of death with 946 deaths, accounting for 8.7 percent, according to the the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Cardiac illness and cardiovascular diseases were ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.

Suicide used to be the second-leading cause in the age group until 2023. The reversal appears to signal that societal suicide prevention efforts are insufficient among this age group.

Suicide remains the leading cause of death among those aged 10 to 39 — and now those in their 40s. Despite claims of "all-out" efforts to lower the highest suicide rates among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member states, the crisis continuously haunts the country and raises a question: What will it take to stem the tide?

Why people in their 40s?

A bronze sculpture is seen on Mapo Bridge in western Seoul on Sept. 25. The sculpture was part of suicide prevention efforts on the bridge. [NEWS1]

People in their 40s, as the primary breadwinners in their families, have found themselves the "sandwiched" generation, shouldering a "double" financial burden of supporting economically inactive parents and raising children, experts say.

Park Jong-ik, a former chief of the suicide prevention agency under the Ministry of Health and Welfare and a psychiatry professor at Kangwon National University Hospital, said patients in their 40s have a greater tendency to express “distress related to economic factors” compared to other age groups.

“Those in their 40s are insecure about their jobs as they see the involuntary retirement of those in their 50s,” Park said. “In this landscape, Korea has a relatively large number of self-employed individuals in their 40s and 50s.”

Monthly income of self-employed heads of households in their 40s averaged 1.07 million won ($745) in the third quarter of last year, a 13.1 percent drop from the same period in 2023, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. It was the sharpest fall since record-keeping began in 2006.

Meanwhile, job insecurity was found to be the most severe among employees in their 40s, according to a survey conducted by job-matching platform Findjob last year, with 89.3 percent of respondents in their 40s reporting anxiety over their jobs, just ahead of 88.3 percent among respondents aged 50 or over.

Left: number of deaths among people in their 40s; Right: suicide mortality of people in their 40s over the past five years [YUN YOUNG]

Some experts said that relentless economic hardships from their youth to adulthood may have contributed to rising suicide rates in their 40s.

"People in their 40s went through the 1997 Asian financial crisis and subsequent employment downturns as well as fluctuating real estate market — all of which structurally deprived them of opportunities to accumulate wealth and earn a stable income," said Jung Sun-jae, an epidemiologist and professor at Yonsei University.

"Entering midlife in their 40s, the unresolved financial pressure is further aggravated by the burden to support families and to repay housing loans. Workplace ageism, coupled with the peak wage system and early layoffs, also undermines self-efficacy. When these elements overlap in a fast-paced labor market, they create a cycle of burnout and depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts.”

Social work Prof. Lee Soo-bi of Daejin University noted that people in their 40s are the first generation to experience a sense of “psychological despair because their long-held belief that hard work guarantees success seemed to be invalidated.”

Political fatigue is another factor worsening the mental well-being of people in their 40s.

“While people in their 40s tend to be liberal, they are constantly exposed to polarized discourse over gender and generational issues,” Prof. Jung said. “Their ideals of equity and equality clash with reality, creating cognitive dissonance and making them feel powerless.”

While economic pressure takes a toll on both sexes, it can be especially devastating for men, who are still often expected to shoulder most of the family's financial responsibilities.

Suicide statistics bear this out. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, 51.1 out of 100,000 men in their 40s died by suicide last year. The figure for women in that age cohort stood at 20.9 per 100,000 — less than half the rate of their male counterparts.

What needs to change?

A telephone connecting to the suicide prevention hotline service is installed on Mapo Bridge in western Seoul on Sept. 25. [NEWS1]

Experts argue that “restoring societal and structural resilience” is crucial, noting that their choices and cases should not be overlooked as “individual issues.”

“Once health authorities identify people at risk, they should do more than psychological counseling,” Prof. Lee said. “They should monitor their economic livelihood and assist in job-searching as a part of comprehensive care.”

Prof. Jung added that mental health services should be more accessible on weekends and at night, given that people in their 40s are usually relegated to their offices or workplaces on weekdays.

Besides making mental health services more available, the social stigma that discourages people from seeking professional and medical help should be eradicated.

“The traditional notion of masculinity, which expects male heads of households to bear the entire financial responsibility, should be dismantled,” Lee said. “Failure to do so can harm self-esteem in a society where men who reach out for help are often perceived as ‘weak.’”

Of 221 men in their 40s, 6.8 percent said they had received psychological therapy or counseling to maintain their mental well-being, according to a 2024 survey conducted by the National Center for Mental Health. Men in their 40s showed the second-lowest acceptance toward counseling among all age groups. The figure among men in their 20s was much higher, with 21 percent of 195 respondents saying they had sought professional help.

The 2024 survey showed that women in their 40s are comparatively more open to seeking professional help, with 9.8 percent of 235 respondents answering that they had done so.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, second from right, visits a counseling department that operates a suicide hotline in central Seoul on Sept. 12. [YONHAP]

While Korea reported 2,817 suicides among people in their 40s last year, 307 more than in 2023, it does not mean such deaths drastically increased in a year, according to experts.

The "leading cause" designation is a “comparative” indicator relative to other causes.

“As treatments of cancer or illnesses have improved and survival rates have risen, the proportion of suicide appears relatively larger,” Jung said. “The decrease in deaths from other causes must be noted.”

Prof. Park added that Koreans are sensitive to their physical health with frequent medical checkups, allowing them to detect their cancer or illness in early stages and receive treatment in a timely fashion.

“While many people in their 40s start taking medications to prevent adult diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes, their attention to mental well-being still lags behind,” Park said.

The statistics posed a grim outlook across society.

Last year, Korea's suicide rates — 29.1 deaths per 100,000 people — reached a 13-year high. After decreasing slightly to 25.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, it has increased for two consecutive years.

Korea's figure is staggeringly higher than that of other countries, with the average among OECD nations last year at 10.7 deaths per 100,000.

Why are decades-long suicide prevention efforts not as effective as expected?

A message saying ″the sun will rise tomorrow″ is attached to a fence on Mapo Bridge as part of suicide prevention efforts in September 2018. [NEWS1]

Korea’s high suicide rate raised alarm after it soared from 13.2 deaths per 100,000 in 1997 to 18.6 in 1998 — fallout of the 1997 financial crisis. By 2003, the ratio reached 22.7, and the country has since maintained the OECD's highest rate.

The state health authority did not just stand by. It has implemented its five-year plans to prevent suicides nationwide since 2004. Despite two decades of efforts, however, the country is still grappling with higher suicide rates than other nations with a similar-sized economy.

The state-operated hotline system — accessed by calling 109 — identifies people at risk only when they reach out for help. It intrinsically lacks a pre-emptive nature to deter suicides before they happen. Messages written on the sidewalks of Mapo Bridge to discourage people from attempting suicide were reportedly criticized online for lacking sympathy and eliciting inappropriate laughter over a serious situation. Even when such phrases are deemed effective, they are only visible to those who already come to the bridge for such a purpose — failing to prevent them from having suicidal thoughts in the first place.

Prof. Jung said the country’s measure is centered on “post-suicidal management,” which is less effective in identifying at-risk individuals or those who are prone to suicidal thoughts before escalation.

“Now, society needs to think about the larger picture of suicidal risks,” Jung said. “Before suicidal thoughts arise, societal and structural factors such as working hours, job security, debt and isolation should be addressed to fundamentally root out the causes of suicidal thoughts.”

People put letters with encouraging messages in a mailbox during a suicide prevention campaign held in central Seoul in September. [YONHAP]

Prof. Park said Korea should strive to have a precise understanding of mental health literacy. While noting that depression cannot be cured by visiting a mental clinic a few times, he said that subtle microaggressions against mental illness in everyday life — such as common slurs that originally referred to people with mental health conditions — should be corrected among the general public.

Park added that Korea’s two chronic crises — low birthrates and high suicide rates — derive from the same basis: satisfaction with life.

“What does it truly mean for Korean individuals when the soundtrack from 'KPop Demon Hunters' tops the Billboard chart?” Park asked rhetorically. “The achievement is about how others view Korea. What matters is convincing Koreans that life is worth living. It cannot be fixed solely by policies or incentives. The key lies in knowing how Koreans perceive themselves and helping them value their own lives."

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling, contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]