Social worker stops suicide attempt on bridge

A social worker specializing in suicide prevention intervened to save a young woman who attempted to jump from Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.

Jeong Sun-ah, 30, a counselor at Hanyang University Hospital’s Life Love Crisis Response Center, was walking near Mapo Bridge with a friend early on July 12 when she saw two women in their 20s standing by the railing, staring at the river. As the women began to climb over, Jeong and her friend rushed over, pulled them back, and held them tightly. They asked passersby to call for help and physically blocked the women from returning to the edge for about 10 minutes until emergency responders arrived.

"My instincts kicked in, shaped by the nature of my job working with people who attempt suicide,” Jeong said.

Since opening in 2017, the Life Love Crisis Response Center has provided mental health counseling and social services to high-risk individuals, offering post-crisis care to more than 500 suicide attempt survivors annually.

“I sensed something was wrong the moment I saw them looking beyond the railing,” Jeong recalled. “The second they stepped onto it, my body reacted before I could think. This reminded me once again that my work can save lives, and I want to keep helping people hold on to hope.”


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