information of the suicide attempters to suicide prevention centers, etc., without their consent upon identification. However, the suicide rate is still high, even though it decreased since 2011. As of 2021, the number one cause of death among teens, 20s and 30s is death by suicide,64) and The suicide rate increased from the previous year in teenagers (10.1%) and 20s (8.5%). Korea still has high suicide rate among the elderly,65) and the suicide rate has increased noticeably in women in their 20s and 30s and in the teenage group since 2019.66) Suicide rates vary greatly by region. Looking at the mortality rate67) by region by major cause of death, the suicide rate is highest in Gangwon (27.3) and lowest in Sejong (17.8). The suicide rate in the county/provincial region is relatively higher than the suicide rate in the metropolitan areas. Gangwon Goseong-gun (55.9 people) and Jeongseon-gun (55.8 people), Jeonnam Gokseong-gun (54.3 people) and Gangjin-gun (50.0 people) have suicide rates of over 50, and 49 regions have a suicide rate of over 30 among 82 counties (administrative districts). B) Limitations and Problems of the Current Suicide Prevention Policy Korea's high suicide rate has received social attention since 2010 for being considerably higher than the average of OECD member countries, and the national and local governments have released various measures to reduce the suicide rate.68) However, as of 2022, the suicide rate in Korea is still significantly higher than that of other countries. In recent years, the suicide rate has not fallen to a sufficient level and has not improved, and therefore, the limitations and problems of the suicide prevention policies implemented by the government over the past few years are also being raised. 64) Based on all age groups, suicide ranks fifth as the leading cause of death in 2021, following cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, and cerebrovascular disease. 65) Korea's high suicide rate appears in all age groups, but the suicide rate of the elderly is remarkably high compared to the current suicide rate by age group in OECD member countries. As of 2020, the suicide rate generally increased with age, with those over 80 (62.6) being the highest. 66) The suicide rate in Korea is higher for men (35.9) than for women (16.2) (as of 2021). However, the rate of self-harm and self-harm attempts is higher in women than men, and especially among women in their 20s, suicide attempts are the highest among all age groups (as of 2020). 67) Age-standardized mortality rate per 100,000 standard population 68) Ministry of Health and Welfare Press Release, Jan. 23, 2018, City of Seoul Press Release, Apr. 4, 2013, etc. 29