South Korean politician under fire for blaming women for rising male suicides

South Korea has the highest suicide rate among most advanced economies in the world

A South Korean politician is under fire for making unsubstantiated comments linking the rise in male suicides to a "female-dominated society".

Seoul City councillor Kim Ki-duck published a report saying that women’s increasing social participation and their dominant role in society is linked to a growing number of suicides among males.

Mr Kim’s report on Seoul Metropolitan Council’s website said women’s participation has created a shortage of male labour and also made it difficult for them to find marriage partners.

“Unlike the past when patriarchy and male-dominant ideology were prevalent in Korea, as of 2023, it has begun to change into a female-dominated society with about 5 per cent more women than men,” he argued in the article.

"In order to overcome the expansion of the female-dominant phenomenon, in the short term, it is necessary to improve gender equality awareness so that men and women can enjoy equal rights and opportunities, and to resolve the problem of labour shortage (which appears to be in the sense of lack of jobs) by expanding men’s social participation."

The report referred to the data on suicide attempts from the Han River bridges over the past six years. The suicide attempts have risen from 430 in 2018 to 1,035 in 2023. The data showed that the per centage of men attempting suicide has risen from 67 per cent to 77 per cent.

The councillor’s comments have been criticised, with many calling the remarks unsubstantiated and dangerous for women.

Professor Jang Sook-rang of Chung-Ang University’s Red Cross College of Nursing told Hankyoreh news website that the male suicide rate has always remained high regardless of women’s social participation.

Lee Min-ah, a professor of sociology at Chung-Ang University, told the outlet that solution is not in “overcoming the female-dominated society” but breaking away from patriarchal gender roles.

"If men feel anxious as more women enter society, we need to move toward a society that breaks away from the traditional gender roles that men should be the breadwinners or that women should be the sole caretakers of children."

Mr Kim told the Hankyoreh, "I wrote this based on my own personal views, inferring the causes of the male suicide rate".

South Korea’s suicide rate is the highest among the rich 38-member Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and it is twice the OECD average suicide rate. It recorded 25.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.