Seoul,Ā Sept 18:
South Korea plans to approve abortion pills for the first time, with the government aiming to allow medication abortions for women up to nine weeks pregnant by the first quarter of 2027.
The move is aimed at improving women’s access to reproductive healthcare and comes amid a long-running debate over abortion rights in the country.
In a landmark ruling in 2019, South Korea’s Constitutional Court ordered the easing of the country’s decades-old abortion ban, which had been among the strictest in the developed world. Abortion was subsequently decriminalised, but Parliament has yet to revise the relevant legislation.
The continuing legal gap has created uncertainty over abortion services and has affected women’s access to both surgical and medication abortions. Many women have reportedly turned to unauthorised online sources to obtain abortion pills, raising concerns over the safety and quality of the medicines.
The government said that during the initial two years after approval, abortion pills would be prescribed and dispensed directly by doctors. The move is expected to establish a regulated medical framework for medication abortions.
The issue remains politically sensitive in South Korea, with religious and conservative groups continuing to oppose abortion. Supporters of legal access, however, have argued that women should have access to safe and medically supervised reproductive healthcare.
The proposed approval is expected to bring greater clarity to doctors and patients while addressing concerns over the unregulated sale and use of abortion medication