South Korea abortionist charged with murder after leaving born-alive infant to die

A doctor in Seoul, South Korea, has been arrested and charged with murder after a baby was allegedly born alive and left to die following a botched late abortion.

Key Takeaways:

• A Korean abortionist has been charged with murder after committing a botched abortion on a woman who was 36 weeks pregnant.

• Though the country has decriminalized abortion, there are few laws regulating what is currently allowed.

• Though the outrage at the infanticide is appropriate, all abortions should also be condemned.

The Details:

According to the Korea Times, both the abortionist, Shim, and the facility owner, Yoon, have been arrested and charged after leaving the baby to die after it was born alive following an abortion. An investigation into the incident found that the baby was alive both “before and after” the abortion procedure. The mother was reportedly 36 weeks pregnant, which means the child would have been fully developed and likely able to survive had he received proper treatment and care.

Investigators also learned that “hundreds” of other abortions had taken place at the facility.

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Abortion in South Korea remains a legal gray area; though the Constitutional Court ruled in 2019 that the country’s abortion prohibition was unconstitutional, since that time there have been no clear laws or regulations surrounding abortion, which means it is considered legal up to the point of birth. In this instance, it was the act of infanticide — leaving the child born alive to then die — which led to the murder charge.

The Korea Medical Association, the country’s largest group of physicians, condemned the incident, noting “a fetus at 36 weeks of pregnancy is a baby who could survive well if born, and terminating a pregnancy at this stage is tantamount to murder.”

The Bottom Line:

Many are outraged — and rightly so — that a baby born at 36 weeks could be callously left to die. But that same outrage should be extended to every child who is killed by abortion. A preborn baby’s worth is not gained through age, development, or location in or out of the womb. Instead, that worth and dignity are inherent from the very moment of conception.