Seoul, Sep 25 || Cancer, heart disease and pneumonia were among the key causes of death for South Koreans in 2024, data showed on Thursday, with suicide remaining the top factor among those in their 40s and younger.
Last year, the total number of deaths reported in the country came to 358,569, up 1.7 per cent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.
The agency said 702.6 deaths were reported per 100,000 South Koreans last year, also up 1.9 per cent from a year earlier.
The report showed that cancer accounted for 24.8 per cent of total deaths in 2024, followed by heart disease at 9.4 per cent and pneumonia at 8.4 per cent. The three factors were responsible for more than 42 per cent of total deaths.
Suicide, meanwhile, stood as the fifth-biggest cause of death for South Koreans at 4.1 per cent.