The number of suicides among students in elementary to high school hit a record 529 in 2024, with the figure for those in their 20s also remaining high, underscoring the need to beef up care for the younger generation, health ministry data showed Friday.

According to the ministry's Suicide White Paper, the overall number of suicides in 2024 was 20,320 — down 1,517 from the previous year and the second-lowest since the health ministry began taking count in 1978.

But the number of those who died by suicide between the ages of 15 and 29 was 3,125, marking the fifth year in a row that the numbers surpassed 3,000.