SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- The government will offer free mental health counseling services to construction workers suffering from depression due to economic difficulties caused by a prolonged slump in the construction sector amid the Middle East conflict, officials said Thursday.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination said it will offer the service in cooperation with the Construction Workers Mutual Aid Association and Seoul's Mapo Ward office starting next week. The service will be available on Mondays and Thursdays in the second and fourth week of every month at the construction workers' shelter in Mapo.

"Since the Middle East war, an increasing number of workers are facing economic difficulties as employment in the construction sector has declined due to the burden of rising raw material costs," the office said. "In order to prevent suicides among construction workers, we have established a close cooperative system with Mapo Ward and the Construction Workers Mutual Aid Association."

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