[Exclusive] Pushed to the Edge: 43 Seoul National University Students Lost to Suicide in 20 Years, A Generation in Crisis

[College Students in Crisis] Part 2

Isolation, Depression, and Financial Hardship: Students Pushed to the Edge

A Structural Crisis Even Prestigious Universities Can't Prevent

Early Intervention in Suicide Risk at Seoul National Univer

"Do I have to die?" "I'm going crazy."

Song (23), a student attending a private university in Seoul, said, "These are the words my friends constantly say whenever it's exam time." For Song, university was not a pause, but another starting line. In an environment where double majors, extracurricular activities, competitions, and job preparation were all simultaneously expected, Song felt, "It seemed like doing just one thing was never enough."

The anxiety never went away. As exams approached, the anxiety intensified, but focusing on studying became even harder. It was during this period that Song became addicted to the smartphone.

The pressure to be more competitive than others often led to students taking a leave of absence. Song shared, "Nine out of ten of my classmates took a leave." However, Song was also afraid of taking a break. "If I go to a job interview and they ask, 'What did you do during your year off?' I feel like I wouldn't have anything to say, so I can't even dare to take a leave," Song said.

There was nowhere to turn for support in difficult times. Having entered university during the COVID-19 period, Song missed out on a proper freshmen orientation. Although the department was not large, the students barely knew each other. The loneliest moments came when Song was sick. When sick and alone in a rented room, no one knew about Song's condition. On a day when Song collapsed from exhaustion, it was Song who had to call the ambulance.

"Please, take me with you."

Universities Are 'Every Student for Themselves'... Forced Into Survival Competition

Park (25), who graduated from a university in the Seoul metropolitan area this February, echoed the same sentiment. University life that began in 2020 turned out to be nothing like what Park had anticipated. Due to the COVID-19 period, there was barely any chance to interact with seniors, let alone attend orientation. Taking a leave of absence and transferring to another school only made the sense of belonging weaker.

The most difficult time for Park was junior year. As major studies became more advanced, Park deeply questioned, "Is this the right path for me?" At the same time, the pressure to find employment became very real. "It felt as if my future would be decided by what I did in a single semester." To avoid becoming what they called an "idle youth," classmates spent all their time building up their resumes. However, in Park's experience, only about one in ten managed to secure a job immediately after graduation. There was a constant anxiety of falling behind due to a wrong choice. Emotional ups and downs became more frequent, with sudden bursts of anger turning into depression.

Life was not easy, either. Excluding tuition of about 3.6 million won per semester and annual dormitory fees of 4 million won, Park still needed at least 500,000 won to as much as 1 million won per month for living expenses. "Even socializing with friends costs money, so I ended up meeting people less and less," Park said. University failed to provide a sufficient safety net. "There are many times I feel like an abandoned adult," Park said. "It's not that youth is supposed to be painful, but rather the constant fear that the pain won't end that makes it more anxiety-inducing," Park added. "Isolation and withdrawal start in the mid to late twenties, so it would be good to have preventive interventions during this period."

On the 20th of last month, students were dining at one- to two-person tables in a university cafeteria in Seoul. Except for some international students, most were eating lunch alone, either looking at their phones or wearing earphones. The students agreed that such scenes have become common after the COVID-19 period.

Number of Seoul National University Students Saying "I Want to Die" Increases by 50% Over 5 Years

The crisis facing university students is also reflected in the data. Suicide statistics for Seoul National University students—which is often seen as the pinnacle of achievement—clearly illustrate this issue.

According to the office of Assemblywoman Kang Kyung-sook on the 11th, Seoul National University recorded a total of 43 suicides among undergraduate and graduate students over the 20 years from 2006, when the university began compiling this data, through this year. Given that bereaved families sometimes refuse to disclose the cause of death due to the sensitive nature of these cases, the actual number is believed to be higher. The fact that student suicides have been repeated shows that the crisis among university students is not just a problem for certain individuals, but a structural issue.

Warning signs of crisis are also evident in the rising demand for counseling. The number of calls made by Seoul National University students to the suicide prevention counseling hotline "SNU Call" increased by 50.3% over five years, from 914 in 2020 to 1,374 last year. The number of early intervention cases for students at risk of suicide rose from 36 to 61—an increase of 69.4% over the same period. The number of students seeking help from the university's psychological counseling center has also steadily increased, with total counseling requests rising by 55.2%, from 598 in 2020 to 928 last year. The number of psychological assessments also jumped by 58.2%, from 1,748 to 2,766.

Looking at the contents of the counseling sessions, students showed a pattern of complex crises, with emotional, career, and relationship issues all deteriorating at once. The most prominent issue was emotional problems, which accounted for the largest share at 39.2% of 4,145 cases. The number of emotional issues jumped by 57%, from 227 in 2020 to 356 last year, driving the overall increase in counseling. This was followed by academic and career concerns (16.6%), interpersonal relationship problems (12.4%), and family issues (8.1%).

Notably, when looking at the rate of increase over the same period, counseling for interpersonal relationships rose by 82.1%, counseling for romantic and sexual concerns soared by 124.0%, and existential issues increased by 320.0%. Family-related counseling also grew by 110.5%. This suggests that university students are struggling not only with academics and job hunting, but also with human relationships, sense of belonging, and adapting to everyday life.

Youth Left Unattended as 'Adults'... University Student Crisis, Not Even Counted in Government Statistics

The problem is that, despite these warning signs, there is still a lack of a public system that can systematically manage university students.

Legally, university students are adults, but in terms of career, finances, and emotions, they remain a "transitional group" in need of protection and support. Nevertheless, government agencies such as the Ministry of Education and the National Police Agency do not even have proper statistics on university student mental health or suicides. When incidents occur on campus, they often remain hidden due to concerns over reputation and image, leaving them as "shadow problems." When The Asia Business Daily requested statistics from the Ministry of Education and the National Police Agency on "mental health issues including university student suicides," all these agencies replied, "We do not keep separate statistics for university students."

Experts pointed out that the crisis among university students should not be viewed merely as a matter of individual vulnerability, but as a structural challenge that universities and the government must address together. They stressed the need to expand staff and budgets for counseling centers, establish an early detection and referral system for at-risk students, and build a management system that includes students on leave and those who have dropped out.

※ If you are struggling with depression or other difficult issues, or if you have a family member or acquaintance facing such challenges, you can receive counseling from a professional 24 hours a day by calling the suicide prevention hotline ☎109 or through the SNS counseling service "Madeleine (Your Online Friend Who Listens to Your Heart)."

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