“You have to live somehow” South Korea’s President begs citizens not to take their lives amidst market crash

President Lee Jae-myung likewise spoke at a cabinet conference held at Cheong Wa Dae on October 13.

Concerning the rate at which youths are ending their lives, President Lee Jae-myung stated, “I believe we may need redoubled efforts unlike anything we have seen before,” including, “We must seek strong, new measures to address academic stress, excessive competition, and bullying.”

At a cabinet conference he commanded at Cheong Wa Dae that day, President Lee made the remarks, stating, “I understand that people taking their lives decreased by more than 10% in the first half of this year, and in particular, those who took their own lives for economic reasons fell by nearly half. This is truly praiseworthy.”

He kept in mind that while the rate at which individuals end it all is “declining overall”the rate of youths ending their lives “is said to have actually increased slightly.”

President Lee mentioned, “Excessive competition in our society is a source of national competitiveness, but there may have been a lack of attention to relational issues within it,” including, “It is also important to strengthen interaction, communication, and emotional connection in schools.”

He likewise stressed, “Unlike in the past, relationships between teachers and students also tend to be growing harsh. As parents complain about teachers’ discipline, there is reportedly a tendency to avoid intervening whenever possible, but this is also not something to be left unattended,” worrying, “Rather than managing it at the current level, a fundamental and structural approach is needed.”

He consistently advised, “If we have so far copied what exists in other countries or made minor adjustments to existing policies, we now need to drastically change our direction.”

He likewise revealed his position on reinforcing “inclusive finance.”

President Lee discussed, “The Financial Services Commission has done unprecedentedly well by carrying out extensive debt write-offs and extinguishing delinquent claims, but from what I see, it is still far from enough.”

He included, “Private moneylenders or debt collection agencies tend to harass people to collect money (when loans are taken out), and we also need to delve deeply into this issue.”

He continued, “(It would be good) to enable people who have become credit delinquents and cannot find jobs to carry on with their daily lives, and to provide them to a certain extent with opportunities to work, such as through ‘national jobs.'”