Activists demand the abolishment of anti-abortion laws in front of the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 28 (Korea Bizwire) — As the U.S. Supreme Court reignites abortion debate following its decision to overturn its 1973 abortion ruling known as Roe v. Wade, South Korea has yet to introduce legislation that enforces abortion rights.
In South Korea, one can easily find advertisements about pregnancy interruptions on social media and portal websites.
On Twitter, there are accounts that offer regional consultations about abortion and where to get it. Women-led online communities, too, share information about abortion and the list of available hospitals.
In a landmark ruling in 2019, the Constitutional Court ruled an outright ban on abortion is unconstitutional and called for a legislative change to partially allow the termination in the early stage of pregnancy. But the amendment has yet to be made.
In other words, abortion has been decriminalized in South Korea but this has yet to be enforced legally.
As such, there isn’t much pregnant women can do when hospitals reject abortion.
Abortion isn’t covered by health insurance, and each hospital sets a different price for the surgery.
Civic groups for women’s rights are calling for related legislation to be amended as soon as possible to incorporate abortion into the medical services provided by hospitals.
Others are also calling for the introduction of abortion pills that are much more affordable and safer than surgical procedures.
Women’s organizations and those in medical circles are demanding legalization of abortion drugs, which are currently banned in the country.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
