"Are You Okay?" on Soju Bottles... Busan Selects Daesun Distilling as First "Life Respect Practice Company"

A Message and QR Campaign on 500,000 Bottles


The First Case of Public-Private Cooperation for Suicide Prevention

Why did they write "Are you okay?" on soju bottles?

The city of Busan has decided to deliver messages to people who attempt suicide while under the influence of alcohol. Busan is joining hands with private companies to spread messages about the value of life. The first participating company is Daesun Distilling, a local business in the region.

On April 30, the Busan city government (acting mayor Kim Kyungdeok) announced that it would deliver a "Certificate of Practice for Respecting Life" to Daesun Distilling at City Hall. This marks the first time a private company has participated in the city’s life-respecting policy.

This year, the city has designated it as the "First Year of Respecting Life" and is strengthening its suicide prevention system. The city views suicide as an issue that the entire local community must address—not just individuals—and is expanding policies based on public-private cooperation.

This collaboration focuses on spreading messages using everyday media channels. According to an analysis by the Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention, about 40% of suicide deaths involved people who had been drinking, so the campaign was planned using alcoholic beverage products.

Daesun Distilling will put the phrase "Are you okay?" and a QR code for a self-assessment of mental health on 500,000 bottles of its main product. This approach allows citizens to naturally encounter messages about respecting life in their daily lives and access information about support organizations if needed. Of these, 150,000 bottles will be distributed to businesses, while 350,000 bottles will be sold for home use.

Choi Hongseong, CEO of Daesun Distilling, stated, "As the first company to be selected for the Life Respect Practice program, we will fulfill our responsibilities," adding, "We will do our best to ensure the message is delivered naturally in daily life."

Acting Mayor Kim Kyungdeok commented, "Through public-private cooperation, this will be an opportunity to spread a culture of respecting life throughout citizens’ daily lives," and added, "We will implement suicide prevention policies together with various stakeholders."

Starting with this case, the city of Busan plans to expand participation in the "Life Respect Practice Company" program and broaden the cooperation system throughout society.

Busan City Hall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.