[Exclusive] University Students on the Brink... 1 in 3 Universities Showed 'Warning Signs'

[University Students in Crisis] ① Suicide Attempts at 32.6%

Attempt Rate: 1.8 per 10,000... Suicidal Thoughts: 20.7 per 10,000

Job Market and Economic Hardships Fuel Anxiety about the Future

Insufficient Protection Systems at Universi

College students who have just crossed the threshold of university admissions are suffering from anxiety about their future. The ongoing employment crisis and economic struggles have led to increased psychological depression and feelings of relative deprivation, with a growing number of students falling into seclusion and ultimately taking their own lives. However, in reality, there is virtually no system in place for early detection of students in crisis and connecting them to appropriate assistance. University support centers are limited to reactive measures due to constraints in staffing and budget, and the government has also neglected those who have moved beyond the mandatory management system of elementary, middle, and high schools. There is a growing call for the government and universities to take active measures to ensure that college students, who are on the brink of entering society, can manage their mental health and avoid psychological risks.

According to the '2025 National University Student Counseling Agencies Survey Report' published by the National University Student Counseling Center Council on May 11, 2026, it was found that suicide attempts by students occurred at 3 out of every 10 universities last year. In this survey, 130 universities participated, and suicide attempts were confirmed at 47 universities (36.2%). In the same survey conducted in 2023, the rate of "confirmed cases of suicide attempts" was only 30.2%, but in just two years, this figure jumped by 6 percentage points.

Notably, even as the total number of suicides among people in their 20s—of whom nearly half are college students—has been declining, the rate of suicide attempts per 10,000 college students increased from 1.6 in 2023 to 1.8 last year. The proportion of students who reported suicidal thoughts also surged from 12.7 per 10,000 in 2023 to 20.7 last year. According to a 2022 qualitative study on "Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Experiences among College Students" reported by Pusan National University, suicide accounted for 57.2% of deaths among those aged 20–24, the typical college age group. This is more than six times higher than the second leading cause of death (traffic accidents, 8.9%).

Experts point to the anxiety caused by competition for grades and resumes at university immediately after escaping from the competition of college entrance exams as a main cause. Students who have not yet reached psychological maturity are suddenly confronted with financial difficulties, such as tuition and living expenses, that they have never experienced before, leading many to isolate themselves.

There is a serious lack of protective systems for these students at both the university and government levels. Among all university student counseling agencies nationwide, 33.1% have only one counselor assigned. Additionally, 43.8% of these agencies operate their student counseling center programs with an annual budget of less than 10 million won. While most universities do operate student counseling centers, there are often so many students waiting that it takes several months to actually receive counseling. At some universities, only a signboard labeled "Student Counseling" is displayed, with no real counseling provided or no professional counselors on staff; often, only perfunctory counseling is available.

This has led to a vicious cycle in which the number of college students at risk of mental health issues continues to grow. According to the "2024 National College Student Mental Health Survey" released by the National University Student Counseling Center Council, 43.5% of the sample population was categorized as being at risk of depression, and 16.4% as being at risk of suicide. The response rate indicating that psychological interventions related to mental health (such as counseling and evaluations) are "necessary" was up to 2.7 times higher than responses indicating they were "unnecessary."

An even greater problem is the increasing number of college students who are classified as being in the early stages of risky behavior, such as isolation or seclusion. The number of young people aged 19 to 34, including college students, who are in isolated or reclusive states, more than doubled from approximately 244,000 (2.4%) in 2022 to 529,000 (5.2%) in 2024.

Taecksoo Jung, Director of the Korea Suicide Prevention Center, stated, "Universities tend to delegate all matters related to psychological counseling and mental health to the student counseling centers, but professors need to provide support to students in the field and establish an organic system of cooperation with the centers. Universities should also proactively disclose data related to suicides on campus and actively engage in prevention activities."

※ If you are experiencing depression or other difficult feelings, or if a family member or acquaintance around you is going through such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling through the suicide prevention hotline at 109 or the suicide prevention social network service 'Madeleine'.