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Abortion Pill·By Bridget Sielicki
South Korea government announces plan to phase-in abortion pill
The South Korean government has announced that by March 2027, it will begin implementing a plan to allow the use of the abortion pill through nine weeks of pregnancy.
The South Korean government is taking steps to legalize the abortion pill.
Though abortion was decriminalized in 2019, no formal laws or guidelines have been established to regulate abortion.
Government officials say a legal framework for abortion pill distribution is necessary to protect women. However, the only way to truly protect women is to outlaw the abortion pill altogether.
South Korea's ministries of gender equality, health and food and drug safety announced plans to formally introduce abortion pills at a government policy coordination meeting on September 16. According to the plan, the abortion pill Mifegymiso, which is a combination pack containing mifepristone and misoprostol, will be prescribed and dispensed at hospitals for the first two years, with the distribution then widening to allow doctors to prescribe and pharmacies to dispense the deadly drugs.
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said a legal framework was necessary because women's health is a priority.
"Safety is more important than anything else," she said. "We must come up with measures to help women in need to receive treatment within the safe medical system, rather than having to rely on unverified methods."
However, even when it is legalized, the abortion pill is never safe. One study found it to be four times more dangerous than a first-trimester surgical abortion, while a report from the Ethics and Public Policy Center found that nearly 11% of women (10.93%) who take the abortion pill experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or other serious or life-threatening adverse events.
No amount of legalization mitigates these risks.
In 2019, abortion was decriminalized in South Korea, but since that time the government has failed to institute any laws or guidelines regulating the practice. In July, President Lee Jae Myung called for legal guidelines to allow abortion pill distribution because women were routinely ordering the abortion pill from overseas.
“Even if it creates some difficulties for the government, women should be able to receive the medication under appropriate medical supervision. Leaving the situation as it is now is irresponsible,” Lee said at the time.
The Catholic Church in South Korea expressed deep concerns about the "disregard for life" after the government's announcement, with the nation's bishops issuing a statement denouncing the plan.
"The [Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea] CBCK voices deep concerns as this measure would only institutionalize abortion in an 'orderly' manner, without changing its fundamental nature, while allowing a disregard for life to be more deeply rooted in our society," the bishops said.
"We eagerly ask the government and the National Assembly to deeply contemplate this and choose a path that both protects life while practically helping women."
Efforts to protect women by legalizing the abortion pill miss the mark. The only true way to protect women and their children from the abortion pill is to outlaw it altogether.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Melissa Manion
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Bridget Sielicki
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Investigative
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Politics
Bridget Sielicki
·Abortion Pill
Bridget Sielicki
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·Abortion Pill
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·Abortion Pill·By Bridget Sielicki
South Korea government announces plan to phase-in abortion pill
The South Korean government has announced that by March 2027, it will begin implementing a plan to allow the use of the abortion pill through nine weeks of pregnancy.
The South Korean government is taking steps to legalize the abortion pill.
Though abortion was decriminalized in 2019, no formal laws or guidelines have been established to regulate abortion.
Government officials say a legal framework for abortion pill distribution is necessary to protect women. However, the only way to truly protect women is to outlaw the abortion pill altogether.
South Korea's ministries of gender equality, health and food and drug safety announced plans to formally introduce abortion pills at a government policy coordination meeting on September 16. According to the plan, the abortion pill Mifegymiso, which is a combination pack containing mifepristone and misoprostol, will be prescribed and dispensed at hospitals for the first two years, with the distribution then widening to allow doctors to prescribe and pharmacies to dispense the deadly drugs.
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said a legal framework was necessary because women's health is a priority.
"Safety is more important than anything else," she said. "We must come up with measures to help women in need to receive treatment within the safe medical system, rather than having to rely on unverified methods."
However, even when it is legalized, the abortion pill is never safe. One study found it to be four times more dangerous than a first-trimester surgical abortion, while a report from the Ethics and Public Policy Center found that nearly 11% of women (10.93%) who take the abortion pill experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or other serious or life-threatening adverse events.
No amount of legalization mitigates these risks.
In 2019, abortion was decriminalized in South Korea, but since that time the government has failed to institute any laws or guidelines regulating the practice. In July, President Lee Jae Myung called for legal guidelines to allow abortion pill distribution because women were routinely ordering the abortion pill from overseas.
“Even if it creates some difficulties for the government, women should be able to receive the medication under appropriate medical supervision. Leaving the situation as it is now is irresponsible,” Lee said at the time.
The Catholic Church in South Korea expressed deep concerns about the "disregard for life" after the government's announcement, with the nation's bishops issuing a statement denouncing the plan.
"The [Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea] CBCK voices deep concerns as this measure would only institutionalize abortion in an 'orderly' manner, without changing its fundamental nature, while allowing a disregard for life to be more deeply rooted in our society," the bishops said.
"We eagerly ask the government and the National Assembly to deeply contemplate this and choose a path that both protects life while practically helping women."
Efforts to protect women by legalizing the abortion pill miss the mark. The only true way to protect women and their children from the abortion pill is to outlaw it altogether.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Melissa Manion
·Abortion Pill
Bridget Sielicki
·Abortion Pill
Bridget Sielicki
·Abortion Pill
Bridget Sielicki
·Abortion Pill
Carole Novielli
·Abortion Pill
Carole Novielli
·Investigative
Bridget Sielicki
·Politics
Bridget Sielicki
·Abortion Pill
Bridget Sielicki
·Abortion Pill
Bridget Sielicki
·Abortion Pill
Bridget Sielicki
·