'90 Days Left for Alternative Abortion Legislation'... Women's Groups Reiterate "Complete Withdrawal" Demand

Legislation Must Be Amended by December 31 This Year
National Assembly Has No Related Legislation
Recent Discussions Among Government Ministries

On April 11, when the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled the abortion law unconstitutional, female activists who had urged the unconstitutionality of the abortion law cheered after hearing the verdict in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] By December 31 of this year, the National Assembly must amend Articles 269 and 270 of the Constitution, which stipulate the crime of abortion. This follows the Constitutional Court's decision on April 11 last year declaring the provisions punishing abortion as 'unconstitutional.' As of the 3rd, 90 days remain.

There are two laws that need to be amended. The 'self-abortion crime (Criminal Act Article 269),' which punishes women who have abortions, and the 'doctor abortion crime (Criminal Act Article 270),' which punishes doctors, oriental medical doctors, pharmacists, and others who perform abortion surgeries at the request of pregnant women.

No bills related to abortion crimes have been proposed in the National Assembly so far. The government has only recently begun discussions among relevant ministries. However, it is known that the government is considering a plan to restrict pregnancy termination within 14 weeks, prompting women's groups to once again demand complete abolition.

One hundred senior women's activists who led the abolition of the family registry system (Hojooje) issued a declaration urging the complete abolition of abortion crimes. The declaration included former Minister of Gender Equality and Family and former executive director of the Korean Women's Associations United, Ji Eun-hee; Kim Young-ran, the first female Supreme Court justice and professor at Ajou University Law School; poet Choi Young-mi; and Yang Hyun-ah, professor at Seoul National University Law School.

They stated, "At the time of abolishing the family registry system, there were intense opposition and concerns, but many women were able to escape discrimination and oppression caused by the system," and demanded, "Shift the policy paradigm to prevent unwanted pregnancies and expand access to pregnancy termination."

The coalition of women's organizations, 'Joint Action for the Abolition of Abortion Crime for All,' held a press conference in front of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the occasion of the 'International Day of Action for Safe and Legal Abortion' (September 28 every year). They criticized the bill allowing abortion only up to a certain gestational age as "a historic regression that once again shifts responsibility onto women through punishment despite the Constitutional Court's ruling of unconstitutionality on abortion crime."

Na Young, co-executive director of the coalition, questioned, "What is the government preparing now regarding the reality where women have to purchase and take miscarriage-inducing drugs from unknown sources on the internet?" She added, "For the past few years, we have continuously demanded measures for these practical changes rather than reviewing punishments or grounds for permission, but what exactly has been prepared on this matter?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.