Borderline Personality Disorder in South Korea: A Narrative Review of Clinical Research and Future Directions

South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates among developed countries, with suicide being the leading cause of death among individuals in their teens to 40s. Despite this serious situation, systematic interventions for suicide prevention remain limited, particularly concerning borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is strongly associated with suicidality. This narrative review examines 11 empirical studies involving clinically diagnosed BPD samples in South Korea, focusing on the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and treatment challenges of BPD within the Korean sociocultural context. The available evidence suggests that BPD is substantially underrecognized in South Korea, with a prevalence rate considerably lower than international estimates and a relatively older mean age of onset, likely reflecting the impact of mental health stigma and barriers to care. Korean individuals with BPD also demonstrate marked functional impairment and a strong association with suicidality, with sociocultural factors further complicating treatment engagement and outcomes. These findings highlight the need for earlier identification and timely diagnosis, broader implementation of evidence-based treatments, and greater dissemination of generalist treatment models and basic training for frontline clinicians. Such coordinated efforts may also contribute to suicide prevention efforts in the country.