New Emergency Suspension of Duties (긴급 직무휴지) system — suicide prevention measures for police, firefighters, civil-complaint officials and emotional labor workers reported to the Cabinet meeting
Source material is a Korean government announcement (in Korean).
On September 8, 2026, the Ministry of Personnel Management (인사혁신처) reported to the Cabinet meeting the suicide prevention measures for special occupational groups (특수직군·집단 자살 예방대책), intended to protect psychologically high-risk occupational groups at the whole-of-government level. The measures include detailed plans for 4 areas: public officials; uniformed public officials such as police, firefighters and soldiers; emotional labor workers; and disaster victims. The Ministry of Personnel Management and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (행정안전부) will prepare a whole-of-government comprehensive prevention system for public officials and strengthen protection for officials handling civil complaints. Mental health centers for public officials (공무원 마음건강센터) will be expanded gradually from 11 to 16, and a new Emergency Suspension of Duties (긴급 직무휴지) system will be created, under which duties are immediately halted and rest is granted when there is an imminent risk of a serious harm such as suicide. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will build a dedicated system in which the institution, rather than the individual official, takes responsibility for responding to repeated or unusual complaints, and will expand the exceptions in complaint handling so that complaints involving abusive language or sexual harassment can be closed by the institution itself. Uniformed public officials such as police, firefighters and soldiers will receive psychological support across the whole cycle of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and recovery. The police will shorten the cycle of comprehensive mental health checkups to 1 year for all officers, and the Korea Coast Guard (해양경찰청) will screen at-risk and high-risk groups early through a psychological test once a year. The Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) will expand emotional labor protection measures so that workers in special types of employment (특수형태근로종사자), who have been in a blind spot, can also be protected, and will provide professional counseling at workplaces in occupations vulnerable to emotional labor, such as telephone counselors and care service workers. Inquiries: Disaster Prevention Policy Officer, Ministry of Personnel Management (044-201-8171).
Key facts
| Report | Cabinet meeting on September 8, 2026, Ministry of Personnel Management — suicide prevention measures for special occupational groups (특수직군·집단 자살 예방대책) |
|---|---|
| New system | Emergency Suspension of Duties (긴급 직무휴지) — duties are immediately halted and rest is granted when there is an imminent risk of a serious harm such as suicide |
| 4 areas covered | Public officials / uniformed public officials such as police, firefighters and soldiers / emotional labor workers / disaster victims |
| Mental health centers for public officials | 11 → 16, expanded gradually |
| Complaint response | A dedicated system in which the institution takes responsibility for repeated or unusual complaints, and expanded exceptions so that complaints involving abusive language or sexual harassment can be closed by the institution itself |
| Psychological screening | Comprehensive mental health checkup cycle shortened to 1 year for all police officers; Korea Coast Guard psychological test once a year |
| Emotional labor workers | Emotional labor protection measures expanded to workers in special types of employment, and professional counseling at workplaces in vulnerable occupations such as telephone counselors and care service workers |
| Inquiries | Disaster Prevention Policy Officer, Ministry of Personnel Management 044-201-8171 |
Last checked:
On September 8, 2026, the Ministry of Personnel Management (인사혁신처) reported the suicide prevention measures for special occupational groups (특수직군·집단 자살 예방대책) to the Cabinet meeting. A new Emergency Suspension of Duties (긴급 직무휴지) system will be created, under which duties are immediately halted and rest is granted when there is an imminent risk of a serious harm such as suicide. The measures include detailed plans for 4 areas — public officials; uniformed public officials such as police, firefighters and soldiers; emotional labor workers; and disaster victims — and mental health centers for public officials (공무원 마음건강센터) will be expanded gradually from 11 to 16.
Background — why this change
These measures follow on from the suicide prevention measures for 9 areas (9대 분야별 자살 예방대책) discussed at the Cabinet meeting in May 2026, setting out specific content for the special occupational groups category among those 9 areas. The Korean National Police Agency and the National Fire Agency will each promote a culture of respect for life at the organizational level through steps such as awareness-raising for life guardians and the operation of a central special inspection team, and the Ministry of National Defense will improve counseling conditions for high-risk groups by expanding the number of professional military life counselors and strengthening their capacity. In the treatment and recovery stage, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment and healing programs will be run, along with an expansion of cooperating hospitals for mental health and support for treatment costs. For disaster victims, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Health and Welfare will standardize risk group assessment criteria and follow-up measures, form a cohort of disaster victims to create a basis for tracking and observing their health over the long term, and strengthen the role of the National Trauma Center (국가트라우마센터) in overseeing and directing psychological support.
Summaries below are factual notes based on government announcements and primary sources — not evaluations or opinions.
FAQ
What is the Emergency Suspension of Duties system?
It is a system, newly created under these measures, under which duties are immediately halted and rest is granted when there is an imminent risk of a serious harm such as suicide.
What protection will officials handling civil complaints receive?
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will build a dedicated system in which the institution, rather than the individual official, takes responsibility for responding to repeated or unusual complaints, and will expand the exceptions in complaint handling so that complaints involving abusive language or sexual harassment can be closed by the institution itself.
Are people other than public officials covered?
Emotional labor workers exposed to abusive language from customers or the suicide of a colleague, and disaster victims who suffered psychological harm from a disaster, are also covered. The Ministry of Employment and Labor will expand emotional labor protection measures so that workers in special types of employment, who have been in a blind spot, can also be protected, and will provide professional counseling at workplaces in occupations vulnerable to emotional labor, such as telephone counselors and care service workers.