Most Koreans Favor Ending Life-Sustaining Treatment Over Prolonged Suffering (Image supported by ChatGPT)
SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — A new study has found that only 8 percent of South Korean adults would choose to continue life-sustaining treatment if diagnosed with terminal, untreatable cancer, with the vast majority preferring to end life-prolonging care or seek euthanasia or physician-assisted death.
According to the Korean Society for Hospice and Palliative Care on Thursday, researchers Kim Soo-jung and Shin Myung-seop of St. Luke’s Hospital and Professor Emeritus Heo Dae-seok of Seoul National University analyzed a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults conducted in June last year. The findings were published in the latest issue of the Journal of the Korean Medical Science (JKMS).
When asked what decision they would make if they had terminal cancer, 41.3 percent of respondents said they would opt to discontinue life-sustaining treatment — defined as withholding or withdrawing medical procedures that serve only to prolong life without therapeutic benefit. About 35.5 percent said they would choose euthanasia, while 15.4 percent preferred physician-assisted suicide.
Only 7.8 percent said they would continue life-prolonging treatment.
Researchers noted that the results indicate a strong public preference for allowing a natural death over prolonging suffering through aggressive medical intervention.
The study also highlighted confusion surrounding end-of-life terminology, noting that terms like “death with dignity” are often used inconsistently, blurring distinctions among medical, legal, and ethical practices.
Lee Myung-ah, chair of the Korean Society for Hospice and Palliative Care, cautioned that while the phrase “death with dignity” may sound compassionate, it can dangerously conflate euthanasia with the decision to end futile life-sustaining treatment. “We plan to strengthen public education and awareness to promote a unified and accurate understanding of end-of-life care,” she said.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
