South Korea – Despite Chilling Warnings, Women Still Seek Dangerous Off-Label Drugs for Abortion

Video transcript only, the video is not available outside Korea.

Park Ha-jeong
Tue Jul 21, 2026

Seven years have passed since the Constitutional Court ruled the abortion law unconstitutional, yet medication for pregnancy termination remains unapproved. While the government remains idle, citing a legislative vacuum, women are resorting to even receiving injections intended for chemotherapy to terminate pregnancies.

Reporter Park Ha-jeong investigates the reality.

At an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Gyeonggi Province, when asked for a consultation on pregnancy termination, the staff suggests two methods.

Continued: https://news.sbs.co.kr/amp/news.amp?news_id=N1008666092

21.07.2026

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

South Korea – ‘Abortion pills’ uncovered in more than 3,000 cases, yet only 7 referred for investigation··· cannot block them or punish, yet indiscriminately labeled ‘illegal’

2026.07.21
By Kim Chan-Ho

Over the past five years, the government uncovered more than 3,000 cases of online sales of abortion medications (abortifacients), but only seven of them were actually referred for investigation. Because there is no provision that penalizes the act of purchasing abortion pills in the first place, crackdowns have clear limits in their effectiveness. Critics say the government is labeling as ‘illegal’ drugs that it can neither effectively block nor has grounds to punish, which in turn makes it impossible to grasp the realities of purchase·use and leaves the health rights of women in a blind spot.

According to Kyunghyang Shinmun reporting compiled on the 20th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety detected the following numbers of abortion medication sales cases: 414 in 2021, 643 in 2022, 491 in 2023, 741 in 2024, 682 in 2025, and 218 from January to May this year, for a total of 3,189.

Continued: https://www.khan.co.kr/en/article/202607210634047

21.07.2026

News

Association of Pharmacists for a Healthy Society

Kang Kyung-yeon

mifepristone

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

Mother and Child Health Act

Chile – Political Undertones of the Anti-Abortion Bill: Urruticoechea, the Kaisers, and Ethical Concerns

The controversial anti-abortion bill proposed by the far-right is closely tied to political connections, particularly with its main proponent, Cristóbal Urruticoechea, a deputy of the National Libertarian Party, who is married to Senator Vanessa Kaiser.

20/07/2026

The controversial anti-abortion bill proposed by the far-right is closely linked to political ties: its main proponent, Cristóbal Urruticoechea, a deputy of the National Libertarian Party (PNL), has been married since February to Senator Vanessa Kaiser, sister of Johannes and Axel Kaiser.

The initiative titled «Listen to His Heart» requires women to hear fetal heartbeats before obtaining an abortion. This proposal was introduced on June 7 by Urruticoechea along with deputies Chiara Barchiesi (Republican Party), Catalina del Real (Republican Party), Álvaro Jofré (National Libertarian Party), Claudia Reyes (Republican Party), and Ximena Ossandón (Renewal National), who later withdrew her signature, admitting it was a “mistake” to endorse it.

Continued: https://www.elciudadano.com/en/political-undertones-of-the-anti-abortion-bill-urruticoechea-the-kaisers-and-ethical-concerns/07/20/

20.07.2026

Commentary

anti-choice misogyny

Cristóbal Urruticoechea

Australia – Doctors worry health system can’t make up for loss of services if Hobart Private sells to Catholic-run Calvary

Lucy MacDonald
July 19, 2026

A top surgeon has warned Tasmania will be sent "back into the dark ages" if Hobart Private stops offering certain procedures due to its potential takeover by a Catholic healthcare provider.

But the health minister is adamant there will be no service gap, as her department tries to work out how it will ensure the services continue to be offered in the state.

Healthscope's receiver announced plans to sell Hobart Private to Catholic healthcare provider Calvary Health Care in December, following the financial collapse of the company.

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-20/tasmania-hobart-private-calvary-sale-concerns/106910204

Shifting the Burden: Why South Korea’s OB-GYNs Reject ‘Discretion’ on Abortion Pills

Private-practice obstetricians demand clear clinical boundaries, emergency transfer protocols, and legal protections before the government approves Mifegyne.

Seungwook Choi
07/19/2026

The South Korean government's proposal to leave the prescription of abortion medication up to the professional discretion of individual physicians is facing fierce resistance. Private-practice obstetricians and gynecologists are pushing back strongly, labeling the move an attempt by the state to shift legal and medical responsibility onto front-line doctors.

On July 15, the Direct Election Korean Association of Private Practice Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a statement declaring that before the medical abortion pill Mifegyne (mifepristone) is introduced, authorities must establish definitive guidelines on gestational age limits, follow-up care protocols, and the legal liability of clinicians. This followed a similar warning the previous day from the Korean Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Continued: https://hi.kormedi.com/en-us/articles/2834872

19.07.2026

News

Korean Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Korean Association of Private Practice Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Mifegyne

mifepristone

South Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

South Korea – Abortion legislation returns to spotlight after 7-year limbo

President's remarks on abortion pill put long-stalled legislation back in focus

By Bahk Eun-ji
Jul 19, 2026

Seven years after the Constitutional Court struck down the abortion ban in Korea, the country’s stalled effort to establish a new legal framework has returned to the spotlight following President Lee Jae Myung’s call to review the introduction of the abortion pill mifepristone.

The issue stems from legislation left unresolved since the court ruled in 2019 that the criminal provision on abortion was incompatible with the Constitution and ordered lawmakers to revise it by the end of 2020.

Although the criminal provision lost its legal effect after the deadline passed, the National Assembly has yet to pass replacement legislation defining when and under what conditions abortions are permitted.

Continued: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/southkorea/politics/20260719/abortion-legislation-returns-to-spotlight-after-7-year-limbo

19.07.2026

Korean Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Lee Jae Myung

Maternal and Child Health Act

mifepristone approval

South Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

South Korea blocks oral abortion pill approval as 101 countries allow use

Gender Equality and Family Ministry cites 101 nations using mifepristone–misoprostol while Korea’s three approval bids since 2021 remain rejected

2026.07.19

It is known that oral abortion drugs are used in 101 countries around the world. Among the 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 33 allow their use, with South Korea among the exceptions.

President Lee Jae-myung stated at a cabinet meeting on the 14th that, even before the relevant laws are revised, the government should examine ways to allow the use of abortion drugs based on medical professionals’ judgment. Afterward, Minister Won Min-kyung of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that inter-ministerial discussions led by the Office for Government Policy Coordination are scheduled to begin in earnest, drawing heightened public attention to abortion medications.

Continued: https://www.dongascience.com/en/news/79005

19.07.2026

Hyundai Pharm

Korean Women’s Associations United

Lee Jae Myung

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Malawi – When childhood ends at 10

Dumase Zgambo-Mapemba, Malawi News
18 Jul 2026

The image is hard to shake off: a 10-year-old child carrying a pregnancy instead of a school bag. Yet this is no longer an isolated tragedy.

It is becoming a disturbing reality in parts of Malawi, particularly in Mchinji and Kasungu, where rising rates of teenage pregnancy are exposing deep failures in child protection, education, and sexual and reproductive health services.

According to the Malawi News Agency, Mchinji District alone recorded 4,155 pregnancies among girls ages 10–19 from January to March 2026, including some as young as 10.

Continued: https://www.pressreader.com/malawi/malawi-news/20260718/281835765467040

18.07.2026

Malaysia – Galen Centre urges review of jail sentence for Indonesian woman over self-managed abortion case

By The Borneo Post
July 18, 2026

KUCHING: The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy has expressed disappointment and dismay over the five-year prison sentence imposed on a 21-year-old Indonesian woman in Sarawak after she attempted to terminate her pregnancy using misoprostol without medical supervision.

Its chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalib said the pregnancy was already at 27 weeks, and the child was delivered prematurely and died five days later, making the case different from an early medical abortion.

“However, imprisonment does not explain why this young woman apparently had no access to timely reproductive healthcare, legal advice, counselling or social support.

Continued: https://www.theborneopost.com/2026/07/18/galen-centre-urges-review-of-jail-sentence-for-indonesian-woman-over-self-managed-abortion-case/

18.07.2026

Women are dying in Africa as US ramps up its global battle against abortion

Monika Pronczuk And Thalia Beaty, The Associated Press
Jul 18, 2026

KISUMU, Kenya (AP) — For decades, U.S. anti-abortion groups have lobbied domestically and abroad for restricting access to abortion. In the U.S., their biggest success was the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Now, the Trump administration is delivering new momentum to the movement exporting “family values” to nations overseas.

At anti-abortion activists’ annual March for Life demonstration in Washington, Vice President JD Vance announced sweeping new restrictions on U.S. funding for nongovernmental organizations, foreign governments and U.N. agencies that promote access to abortion, gender-affirming care and diversity initiatives overseas.

“We’re going to start blocking every international NGO that performs or promotes abortion abroad from receiving a dollar of U.S. money,” Vance told the crowd in January.

Continued: https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/health/women-are-dying-in-africa-as-us-ramps-up-its-global-battle-against-abortion/article_2bee500d-1033-50c6-a64b-1a73a1f4779c.html

18.07.2026