Demand for phone counseling in the government's suicide prevention program jumped by nearly 50 percent last year.

According to the health ministry on Friday, 26-thousand-843 calls were made in 2024, up 46-point-seven percent from 18-thousand-304 calls in 2023.

During the first quarter of this year, 28-thousand-34 calls were logged, surpassing the total demand for last year.

An official from the ministry attributed the sharp increase to a merger and promotion of different prevention hotlines from last year, rather than a surge in risk groups.

South Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD nations, with the number of suicides per 100-thousand people at 27-point-three in 2023, the highest level in nine years.