A South Korean lawmaker attributed the increase in male suicides by jumping into rivers to “female social participation.” According to the BBC on the 10th, the lawmaker faced severe criticism in South Korea for making these unfounded remarks.
The Hankyoreh reported that Seoul City Councilor Kim Ki-deok of the Democratic Party recently issued a press release titled “Over 1,000 Suicide Attempts by Jumping off Bridges for Two Consecutive Years, Mapo Bridge Ranks First, Urgent Need for Countermeasures.” The release mentioned the number and gender of people attempting to jump off various bridges in the Han River over the past six years (2018-2023). According to related data, among the 4,069 people who attempted suicide, 2,487 were men (61.1%), 1,079 were women (26.5%), and 503 were of unknown gender.
According to South Korea’s YTN, in 2018, the number of men attempting to jump off bridges was twice that of women, but last year, this ratio increased to over seven times.
Kim Ki-deok analyzed the reason for these figures, stating that, unlike the past era of Korean male dominance and male superiority, South Korea has become a “female-dominant society” starting in 2023, with 5% more women than men. He believed that the increase in the number of women in Korea led to a shortage of male labor (mainly job positions). At the same time, it became more difficult for men to find marriage partners, and female social participation also changed gender roles. In Kim Ki-deok’s view, these factors could be reasons for the increase in male suicides.
Kim stated that it is necessary to analyze multiple factors based on the background and changes of the times and to formulate strategies to minimize the number of suicide attempts. He proposed that to curb the expansion of the “female-dominant society,” it is necessary to enhance gender equality awareness in the short term, allowing men and women to enjoy equal rights and opportunities, and to expand male social participation. In the long term, he believed that measures should be taken to alleviate the imbalance in the marriage market and increase the birth rate, according to South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo.
The BBC reported that experts pointed out that Kim Ki-deok’s analysis is one-sided and unfounded. In South Korea, women are more likely to work in temporary or part-time jobs, and their average salary is 29% lower than that of men. According to South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report released this year shows that South Korea remains at the lower end of the global ranking.
According to the Hankyoreh, Jang Sook-lang, a professor at the Red Cross College of Nursing at Chung-Ang University, stated, “Regardless of whether women participate in social activities, the male suicide rate has always been high.” The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a statistical report showing that the global male suicide rate has been more than twice that of women over the past 20 years. Jang Sook-lang said, “Men tend to use more definitive methods when attempting suicide, resulting in a higher ‘completion rate’ for suicides. Drug poisoning and alcohol poisoning are also reasons for the higher male suicide rate.” Song In-han, a professor of mental health at Yonsei University, told the BBC, “Making such assertions without sufficient evidence is dangerous and unwise,” and scientific research is needed to determine the cause of the sharp rise in male suicide rates in Seoul. Kim Ki-deok’s association of it with gender conflict is “very regrettable.” Lee Min-ja, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University, stated, “If the increase in the number of women entering society makes men feel uneasy, then men should learn to support themselves or abandon the traditional notion that women are exclusively responsible for raising children.”
According to South Korea’s Edaily News, Kim Ki-deok’s remarks also sparked widespread controversy on Korean internet forums. A resident of Mapo District commented, “This is ridiculous. There are so many unresolved issues in Mapo District. I hope he does his job well.” Since the 5th, Kim Ki-deok has explained through various media outlets that “there is no problem with the ‘female-dominant society’ itself, and I absolutely do not intend to belittle the ‘female-dominant society.'” Kim told the Hankyoreh, “This is based on personal speculation about the reasons for the male suicide rate.” Some netizens suggested that “the gender differences in suicide methods, the increase in men investing in stocks and virtual currency, and the self-imposed pressure on men” are reasons for the increase in the number of men jumping into the Han River.
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