Seoul:The proportion of Korean middle school students experiencing feelings of depression has surpassed that of high school students for the third consecutive year in 2025, according to recent data.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korean Educational Development Institute reported that 26.2 percent of middle school students experienced depression last year, compared to 25.1 percent of high school students. The study defined "feelings of depression" as experiencing sadness or despair severe enough to suspend daily routines for two consecutive weeks over the past year.
In 2024, the percentage of middle school students who reported feeling depressed was 27.9 percent, slightly higher than the 27.5 percent recorded for high school students. In 2023, 26.3 percent of middle school students reported feelings of depression, compared with 25.6 percent of high school students.
The education ministry data showed that in the first half of this year, 112 students from elementary, middle, and high schools died by suicide, with 43 of them, or 38.4 percent, being middle school students. Last year, a total of 244 students took their own lives, with 92 of them being middle school students.