SOUTH KOREA – Prosecutors seek prison terms in 36-week abortion case

Jan. 27, 2026
Shin Ji-hye

Prosecutors have sought prison terms for a woman who underwent an abortion at around 36 weeks of pregnancy as well as for the doctor who performed the procedure and the hospital director involved, local media reported Monday.

At a hearing held Monday at the Seoul Central District Court, prosecutors requested a 10-year prison sentence for the 81-year-old hospital director surnamed Yoon, along with a fine of 5 million won ($3,456) and criminal forfeiture of 1.15 billion won. They sought six-year prison terms for the 26-year-old patient surnamed Kwon and for the doctor, 61, surnamed Shim. All three are charged with murder.

Continued: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10663768

27.01.2026

News

Mother and Child Health Act

Seoul Central District Court

South Korea – Term limits debate slows abortion’s path out of legal limbo

Jan. 20, 2026
Lim Jae-seong

Debate is intensifying over abortion limits in South Korea, as lawmakers move to address a legal vacuum that has persisted since the Constitutional Court struck down the country’s abortion crime provision.

Although the court ruled that a blanket criminal ban was unconstitutional, the National Assembly has yet to pass follow-up legislation, leaving the practice decriminalized but largely unregulated for nearly seven years.

Continued: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10659212

20.01.2026

News

abortion law reform

gestational limits

Mother and Child Health Act

Park Ju-min

South Korea Constitutional Court

Despite ban removal, women’s access to abortion pills faces legal void in Korea

21 Oct. 2025

Six years after Korea’s Constitutional Court struck down the country’s abortion ban, women seeking to end a pregnancy still face a legal void. The government has yet to approve abortion pills, and thousands are turning to the internet, where unverified drugs circulate in an expanding underground market.

Authorities uncovered 2,641 cases of illegal online sales of abortion medication since 2021, when the abortion ban lost effect, according to new data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety submitted to Rep. Nam In-soon of the Democratic Party on Tuesday.

Continued: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-10-21/national/socialAffairs/Despite-ban-removal-womens-access-to-abortion-pills-faces-legal-void-in-Korea/2425241

21.10.2025

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

4 out of 10 Koreans support abortion on demand: survey

Oct. 19, 2025
Yoon Min-sik

More than 40 percent of men and women in South Korea believe in women's right to get an abortion on demand, a recent survey showed Sunday.

The survey on 300 women and 102 men aged 15-49 showed that 44.6 percent of the female respondents and 44.1 percent of the male respondents said, "a woman should be able to get an abortion, based on her judgement and choice."

Continued: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10596402

19.10.2025

News

abortion survey

Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health

public support for abortion

Asia

South Korea

Human Rights

Head of Korean human rights watchdog flip-flops on abortion rights ahead of GANHRI special review

After removing his name from last year’s statement, Ahn Chang-ho appears to have done a 180 on the issue only a month out from a special review by GANHRI

2025-09-29

Marking International Safe Abortion Day on Sunday, Ahn Chang-ho, the head of South Korea’s human rights watchdog, issued a statement saying that Korea can “no longer neglect the legislative vacuum regarding guarantees for the right to a safe abortion.”

The statement called for guarantees for abortion rights and for the country to make abortion pills available. But only a year earlier, Ahn called for his name to be removed from a press release making similar demands, raising suspicions about his sudden about-face.

Continued: https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1221384.html

29.09.2025

News

abortion law reform

Ahn Chang-ho

International Safe Abortion Day

Nam Kyu-sun

National Human Rights Commission of Korea

SOUTH KOREA – Gov’t urged to establish safe abortion laws after six-year legal vacuum

28 Sep. 2025
YOON SO-YEON

Korea's human rights watchdog urged the government and parliament to end the ongoing six-year legal vacuum for safe and legal pregnancy termination in line with the International Safe Abortion Day, which falls every year on Sept. 28.

"The Constitutional Court ruled the old abortion law, which failed to balance between women's rights to her own body and the life of the fetus, as a violation of the Constitutional Law in April 2019, but the government and the National Assembly have still not established a new law to fill the vacancy," said the National Human Rights Commission of Korea on Sunday.

Continued: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-09-28/national/socialAffairs/Govt-urged-to-establish-safe-abortion-laws-after-sixyear-legal-vacuum/2409990

28.09.2025

News

abortion law reform

International Safe Abortion Day

National Human Rights Commission of Korea

SOUTH KOREA – Debate reignites in South Korea over legalisation of abortion pills

Sep 03, 2025

SEOUL - South Korea’s Constitutional Court declared the criminalisation of pregnancy termination unconstitutional in 2019, but the country remains mired in legal and medical limbo, leaving women to deal with uncertainty, stigma and unsafe alternatives.

Without follow-up legislation to regulate and guarantee safe access, women seeking abortions are forced into what advocates call a “blind spot”.

Hospitals often refuse to perform procedures without clear legal guidelines. Women are then left to scour online forums or underground markets to buy smuggled drugs at exorbitant prices, raising risks of counterfeit pills and severe health complications.

Continued: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/debate-reignites-in-south-korea-over-legalisation-of-abortion-pills

03.09.2025

Maternal and Child Health Act

National Human Rights Commission of Korea

South Korea Constitutional Court

Jeong Eun-kyeong addresses abortion law void, considers abortion pill legalization in Korea

Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong explores options for safe abortion practices and regulatory reforms in Korea

By Heo Ji-yoon
2025.08.27

Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong emphasized the need to address the legal void regarding abortion laws and stated that she would consider introducing abortion (termination) medication.

On the 27th, Minister Jeong responded to a question from People Power Party lawmaker Jo Bae-suk regarding abortion laws at the Special Committee on Budget & Accounts, saying, "Since the constitutional incompatibility decision, the Criminal Act and the Mother and Child Health Act have not been amended, leading to safety issues."

https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-science/2025/08/27/BHL7ASQCRVG6XMTT5K3GTKRZAI/

27.08.2025

Jeong Eun-kyeong

Jo Bae-suk

Mifegyne

Mother and Child Health Act

SOUTH KOREA – Abortion reemerges as hot-button issue as ruling party eyes dormant bill

By Lee Hae-rin
Aug 8, 2025

Debate over the legalization of the abortion pill has come under renewed scrutiny in Korea, as lawmakers move to address the legal gray zone surrounding women's health that has persisted since the country’s Constitutional Court struck down the abortion ban six years ago.

On Wednesday, the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee convened a major forum on the issue. Participants included lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, with Rep. Nam In-soon, who recently proposed bills aimed at removing restrictions on both surgical and medical abortions and extending national health insurance coverage to these procedures.

Continued: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20250808/abortion-reemerges-as-hot-button-issue-as-ruling-party-eyes-dormant-bill

08.08.2025

News

Choi Anna

Dr. Kim Hee-sun

Gangneung Medical Center

Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs

South Korea – Pros and cons of physicians’ right to refuse abortion procedures discussed at forum

Kim Jung-hyun
7 Aug 2025

Six years after Korea's abortion ban was ruled unconstitutional, renewed calls are emerging to grant doctors the right to refuse to perform abortion procedures.

Proponents argue that medical professionals should be allowed to opt out of performing abortions based on personal conscience, beliefs, or religious convictions.

Continued: https://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=28532