6 Years Without Abortion Law: Women Lost in the Maze… The Solution is ‘Counseling and Support’

After the Constitutional Court decision, the clock stopped at the National Assembly… Overseas, the focus is on ensuring women’s health rights
The top demand from the people is ‘support for childbirth and parenting’… Prevention before punishment,
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Abortion law revision deadline approaching… National Assembly is ‘dereliction of duty’ (CG)
[Provided by Yonhap News TV],
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, ‘(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Seo Han-ki = It has been over six years since the Constitutional Court ruled the criminalization of abortion as unconstitutional in April 2019, yet the clock at the National Assembly remains stopped. The legislative vacuum continues as related laws have not been amended, increasing confusion among women with unwanted pregnancies and within the medical field.’,
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, ” In this situation, the report ‘Policy Research on Induced Abortion through Overseas Case Comparison’ published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health offers a direction our society should follow and is drawing attention.”,
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, ‘ According to the report on the 21st, major countries worldwide are approaching induced abortion not as a matter of punishment, but from the perspective of guaranteeing women’s health rights and the right to self-determination as a health care service.’,
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, ” In France, abortion is allowed upon the woman’s request until the 14th week of pregnancy, with all costs covered by health insurance. Germany, while principally deeming it illegal, adopts a ‘consultation method’ where punishment is waived if counseling is received at designated institutions within 12 weeks of pregnancy. Canada abolished the criminalization of abortion entirely in 1988 and treats it as part of medical practice.”,
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, ‘ These countries focus not just on whether or not to allow it, but on ensuring a safe procedure environment and running systematic counseling systems that help women make careful decisions based on sufficient information.’,
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, ‘ This is due to a social consensus that outright prohibition of induced abortion could rather foster illegal, covert procedures that pose significant threats to women’s health.’,
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, ‘ The report also includes survey results from over 400 domestic experts and general citizens.’,
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, ” The most notable part is that both men and women identified ‘socio-economic support for childbirth and parenting’ (34.3%) as the primary policy the state should support to resolve the issue of induced abortion. This indicates that citizens understand deeply that induced abortion is closely linked to socio-economic circumstances where one can raise a child, beyond merely a matter of individual choice.”,
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, ” Following that, there was strong advocacy for strengthening shared responsibility awareness between men and women regarding contraception, pregnancy, and childbirth, emphasizing that prevention of unwanted pregnancies and recognizing that pregnancy and childbirth are not solely women’s responsibility but involve society as a whole and men.”,
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, ” Experts offered various opinions on detailed measures. Most obstetricians suggested that the gestation period during which abortion should be allowed at the woman’s request should be ‘before 10 weeks of pregnancy’ considering medical safety.”,
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, ‘ Furthermore, it was agreed that medication-induced abortion must be conducted under the prescription and supervision of a doctor (86.3%) and that procedures must also be performed by obstetricians (82.3%). More than half responded that a doctor’s right to refuse treatment due to personal beliefs should be acknowledged.’,
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, ‘ The report emphasizes the urgent need to prepare realistic alternatives to harmonize women’s rights to self-determination with fetal life rights, moving away from punishment-centric approaches.’,
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, ‘ It points out the necessity for comprehensive policy design including: ▲ Setting allowable gestation weeks based on medical evidence ▲ Establishing and mandating a specialized consultation system offering value-neutral information ▲ Preparing a safe drug use and management system ▲ Expanding practical state support for childbirth and parenting.’,
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, ‘ shg@yna.co.kr’,
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