Korea's overall injury volume has recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels, while the dominant type of injury has shifted from traffic accidents to falls and slips, according to government data. Elderly falls and adolescent self-harm and poisoning have emerged as key risk factors.
The 15th National Injury Statistics report published by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Wednesday showed that 3.55 million patients experienced injuries in 2023, with 27,812 injury-related deaths recorded. Medical costs for injuries reached 6.37 trillion won ($4.7 billion), approximately 1.8 times the level in 2014. Injury incidence, which had declined during the pandemic, has rebounded to pre-COVID levels.
The pattern of injuries has also changed markedly. Among patients transported by 119 emergency ambulances, the share of traffic accidents fell from 30.1% in 2014 to 26.7% in 2023, while falls and slips rose sharply from 31.3% to 41.0% over the same period. Among hospitalized patients, falls accounted for 51.6%, representing more than half of all injuries. Analysts say "lifestyle injuries" occurring in daily life have become a greater risk than accidents during transit.
Fall risks among the elderly were particularly severe. Hospitalizations and deaths from falls among those aged 70 and older rose far more steeply than in other age groups, with the mortality rate 3.3 times higher. The trend is attributed to a combination of declining physical function due to aging and environmental factors in living conditions.
Among adolescents, injury patterns have expanded into mental health-related incidents. Poisoning accounted for 8.1% of adolescent injury patients visiting emergency rooms, while self-harm and suicide comprised 53.9% of adolescent injury deaths. Self-harm and suicide attempts surged 553% over the past decade, with psychological factors such as depression and interpersonal conflicts identified as primary drivers.
The KDCA said it plans to expand fall prevention programs and improve living environments for the elderly, while strengthening drug poisoning prevention education for adolescents. "Given that injury problems involve a complex interplay of various factors, it is necessary to strengthen preventive policies through cooperation among relevant agencies," KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan said. "Proactive responses to adolescent poisoning, self-harm and suicide are particularly important," he added.
