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After suicides increase, barrels reinstalled along Incheon Bridge

Published: 18 Nov. 2025, 15:09 Updated: 18 Nov. 2025, 17:22

Plastic barrels have been reinstalled along the Incheon Bridge, shown in this image taken Nov. 18. [YONHAP]

Plastic barrels have been reinstalled along the Incheon Bridge just two months after their removal, following another spike in suicides.

The bridge’s operator said Tuesday that it reinstalled around 600 plastic barrels along a 3-kilometer (1.9-mile) stretch — 1.5 kilometers in each direction — near the main towers of the bridge last month.

The move comes two months after all 1,500 barrels previously installed along the shoulder were taken down following safety concerns raised in August about limiting access to the shoulder during emergencies such as traffic accidents. The barrels had initially been installed in November 2022 to prevent suicide attempts.

However, in September, soon after their removal, three people jumped to their deaths from the bridge, and another went missing, prompting renewed calls for safety measures.

“In consultation with relevant authorities, the barrels have been temporarily reinstalled as a preventive measure,” said a representative of the bridge operator. “We’ve also strengthened supervision, deploying patrol cars every 10 minutes during peak accident hours near the main towers.”

As a more permanent solution, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is planning to install safety barriers. The ministry is working on a project to install 2.5-meter-high barriers along a 7- to 8-kilometer stretch near the bridge’s main towers by next year. The estimated budget for the project is 8 billion won ($5.46 million).

Since the bridge opened in 2009, a total of 90 people have jumped off, resulting in 67 deaths, 14 people reported missing, and nine survivors.

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling, contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]