Police officers wearing face masks are on guard against holiday gatherings during Liberation Day on Aug. 15, 2021, amid the spreading COVID-19 pandemic. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Police officers struggling from depression have increased in number over the last five years, with more than 100 having committed suicide.
Rep. Lee Eun-ju of the minor progressive Justice Party said the number of police officers stricken with depression rose from 777 in 2016 to 1,123 in 2020, an increase of approximately 44.5 percent.
The number of officers struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) nearly doubled from 24 people in 2016 to 46 in 2019. Last year, there were 38 officers struggling with PTSD.
The number of police officers consulting a psychiatrist rose from 163 in 2016 to 214 last year, jumping by approximately 31 percent.
Sorted by region, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency had the highest number of police officers struggling with either depression or PTSD each year, rising continuously from 2016 (171 patients with depression, 8 PTSD patients) to 2020 (240 patients with depression, 14 PTSD patients).
The National Police Agency reported that the number of police officers who committed suicide went from 27 in 2016 to 22 in 2017, 16 in 2018, 20 in 2019, and 24 in 2020. This year, 16 police officers had taken their own lives as of August.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
