Reproductive rights: South Korea allows abortion drugs

dpa | Drugs for terminating pregnancy are to be approved for the first time in South Korea. As the Ministry for Equality and Family announced, approval of a corresponding preparation is still pending. However, the general approval is now a political decision.

The South Korean Medicines Agency is currently testing an imported drug that could in future be used up to the ninth week of pregnancy. In the first two years after the introduction, planned for the first quarter of 2027, the drugs will be prescribed and dispensed by doctors. The regulation should then be gradually relaxed depending on experience with side effects and other safety aspects.

The background to this is a decision by the South Korean Constitutional Court in 2019. It declared the previously applicable regulations for punishing abortions to be unconstitutional. The judges called for a new regulation, but this has so far been a long time coming.

Although South Korea is one of the most economically and technologically developed countries in Asia, the society is very traditional and conservative, particularly when it comes to gender issues. Abortion is still considered controversial today. The strong influence of Christian groups also contributed to the topic being taboo for years and - despite the Constitutional Court's ruling - only being addressed very hesitantly by politicians.