“Korea has continuously ranked as the country with the highest number of suicides among OECD members for the past 12 years. What makes us even sadder is that it doesn’t look like the situation will be different for at least the next 10 years.”
Director Cho Seong-don (photo) of the Life Hope Christian Center for Suicide Prevention, described the reality of Korea. According to information announced by the Health and Welfare Ministry, 13,836 persons committed suicide in Korea in 2014, that is, one person every 38 minutes.
The Center was established in March 2012 by Life Hope (board director: Rev. Lee Mun-hui) to raise public awareness and to prevent suicides. Since then, Director Cho has chaired the steering committee, and this April 28 he was appointed director.
“In 2008, we went through some trouble after publishing the book “Their Suicides, and Us,” which offered a Christian perspective on those who commit suicide. We asserted that not everyone goes to hell for committing suicide. Some angry persons went so far as to ask us, ‘Why don’t you go and die yourself, then?’ This is an example of the taboo surrounding suicide within the Korean church.”
He explained, “In our early days, most churches were refusing any education for suicide prevention. It took about five years for us to change that perception in the Korean churches.” Now the Center carries out various kinds of education and campaigns at churches, schools, and social welfare organizations throughout the year.
Cho emphasized, “The number of persons dying from suicide has decreased in the short term thanks to suicide prevention legislation in Korea (2011) and Japan (2006). However, the more effective way is to carry out a national-level suicide prevention movement by the government, social organs, and the media, as is done in Austria. It is important to direct people’s attention to life, not to death. For this reason, the role of the Korean church is crucial.”
To help local pastors who may have to conduct a funeral for a member who has committed suicide, the Life Hope Center plans to publish a book this coming summer presenting a theological understanding of suicide together with sample funeral sermons. Director Cho said, “I hope the Korean churches will no longer be afraid of talking about suicide. If churches join the movement as ‘life keepers,’ they will be a great driving force.”
Reporter Choi Ki-young (ky710@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Photo by senior reporter Kang Min Seok
Click here for the original article in Korean
“Korean churches must safeguard lives and prevent suicides”
2016-05-10 11:20
