President Yoon Suk Yeol says the time has come for the nation to actively work to improve the people’s mental health. 

Chairing a meeting on mental health policies in Seoul on Tuesday, Yoon said mental health issues must be handled as a key national agenda as he stressed that such issues should not be tackled by individuals on their own.  

The president said the government will drastically change the paradigm of policies on mental health by restructuring the entire support system, including prevention, treatment and recovery. 

He promised to build a system which would allow office workers to easily get professional counseling in the workplace and students in schools or their communities. 

Vowing to complete within his term a policy framework on mental health, Yoon said to such an end he will set up a committee under him that will be charged with discovering and planning new policies as well as establishing a governance that manages related infrastructure and financial investment. 

The president said compared to its high economic level, South Korea ranks first in suicide and places at the bottom in happiness indices, adding that many people avoid getting treatment and almost no investment on the national level is made toward mental health.