President Lee Jae-myung: “Why is South Korea’s suicide rate so high?”… Jeong Eun-kyeong: “We are working on measures.”

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Jeong Eun-kyeong, nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare, preparing measures to address suicide rates

Jeong Eun-kyeong, the nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare, hinted that measures are being prepared internally within the Health and Welfare Ministry regarding South Korea's high suicide rates.

On the morning of the 2nd, as she arrived at the office established for the confirmation hearing preparation in Jung-gu, Seoul, she stated, "I understand that plans (to reduce the high suicide rates) are being developed internally," adding, "Once it is ready, we will report it to the ministry."

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This appears to be a follow-up action to President Lee Jae-myung's directives during the first Cabinet meeting on the 5th of last month, where he asked then-1st Vice Minister Lee Gi-il, "Why is our country's suicide rate so high?" instructing the ministry to prepare related measures.

In fact, South Korea has not been able to shed its notorious title of "always number one" in suicide rates among OECD countries. According to Statistics Korea, particularly last year (2024), the suicide rate per 100,000 population was 28.3, marking the highest level since 2013 (28.5), highlighting an urgent need for national-level measures.

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Cautious stance on spouse's stock ownership controversy

Meanwhile, Jeong took a reserved position regarding the controversy over her spouse's stock ownership related to COVID-19.

Earlier, on the 1st, the citizen group People's Livelihood Countermeasure Committee filed a complaint with the police, alleging that Jeong's spouse held stocks related to COVID-19 during her tenure as the inaugural head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

In response, Jeong stated, "I will understand the situation a bit more before I comment. I ask for your understanding," refraining from providing an immediate explanation.

This controversy is likely to be a major issue during the upcoming confirmation hearing.

Focusing on confirmation hearing preparation

Jeong mentioned regarding her confirmation hearing preparations, "We are currently working hard on (the hearing)," and added, "I am submitting data and understanding the tasks."

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Jeong was nominated as the head of the Health and Welfare Ministry based on her experience leading epidemic responses as the head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, alongside the controversy over her spouse's stock ownership, policy decisions during the COVID-19 response are expected to be scrutinized in the hearing.

The Health and Welfare Ministry is tasked with addressing key issues in South Korean society, such as suicide prevention, healthcare reform, and low birth rates, drawing considerable attention to whether Jeong will pass the confirmation hearing and the direction of future policies.

Image source: Jeong Eun-kyeong, Minister of Health and Welfare nominee, arrives at the confirmation hearing preparation office located in T Tower, Sowol-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, answering questions from reporters on the morning of the 30th. 2025.6.30/News1, President Lee Jae-myung presided over the 26th Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on June 19. / Photo=Lee Jae-myung's Facebook, News1

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