Data from the Korea Educational Development Institute show that 26.2% of middle school students in South Korea reported experiencing feelings of depression in 2025, compared with 25.1% of high school students. The measure refers to sadness or hopelessness severe enough to interrupt daily life for two consecutive weeks during the previous year. Middle school students have recorded a higher rate than high school students for three straight years, following 27.9% versus 27.5% in 2024 and 26.3% versus 25.6% in 2023.
Education Ministry data also recorded 112 student suicide deaths from January through June 2026, including 43 middle school students, while the 24-hour suicide prevention hotline 109 is available to people considering self-harm or suicide.