The government set a target Monday of reducing the number of suicides to around 25,000 a year over the next decade, adopting 47 measures centered on boosting counseling services.

There were 32,325 suicides in 2004, or 25.3 per 100,000 people.

The government will also implement more measures in five years to cut the figure by 20 percent, following examples set by such countries as Finland.