South Korea suicide, infectious disease deaths exceed OECD averages

Jan. 12 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's death rates from suicide and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis were higher than the average among member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2024, while deaths tied to traffic accidents, crime and fires were lower, the Interior Ministry said Monday. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety released its 2025 regional safety index based on 2024 statistics. The index compares regional safety using mortality data across six categories: traffic accidents, fires, crime, daily life safety, suicide and infectious diseases. A total of 23,112 people died across the six categories in 2024, up 1,226 deaths, or 5.6%, from the previous year, the ministry said. Traffic accident deaths fell by 31 to 2,334. Suicide deaths rose by 894, the ministry said. Deaths tied to daily life safety incidents increased by 264, infectious diseases by 73, fires by 24 and crime by 2. Related South Korea to power 38,000 homes from livestock manure by 2030 U.N. North Korea rights rapporteur to visit South Korea in early Feb. Average household debt per borrower tops 97 million won in South Korea Tuberculosis accounted for most infectious disease deaths, the ministry said. Of 1,787 infectious disease deaths, 1,347, or 75%, were attributed to tuberculosis. The ministry said South Korea has the second-highest tuberculosis incidence rate among the OECD's 38 member countries and ranks fifth for tuberculosis mortality. While incidence has declined annually, it remains high compared with the OECD average, it said. On a per-100,000 population basis, South Korea's crime-related death rate was 0.6 compared with an OECD average of 2.3, the ministry said. Fire-related deaths were 0.6 versus 1.2. Accident-related deaths were 21.7 compared with 34.9. Traffic accident deaths were 4.9 per 100,000 people compared with an OECD average of 5.5, the ministry said. Suicides were 29.0 per 100,000 people, about 2.6 times the OECD average of 11.2, while infectious disease deaths were 2.7 compared with an OECD average of 1.6, it said. By category, the highest-rated regions included Seoul and Gyeonggi Province for traffic accident safety, Ulsan and Gyeonggi for fires, Sejong and South Jeolla Province for crime, Busan and Gyeonggi for daily life safety, and Sejong and Gyeonggi for suicide and infectious diseases, the ministry said. The ministry said it plans to analyze risk factors in lower-performing regions and offer tailored consulting support by category. Interior Minister Yoon Ho-joong said the government will work with local authorities to reduce suicides and daily life safety accidents and will add an industrial accident category to the index to encourage local government participation and improvements. -- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI © Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

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