The Failure of Full Abolition of Abortion Law... Seo Ji-hyun Calls It an "Unconstitutional Legal Amendment"

"Abortions Laws Without Effectiveness... Protecting Women and Precious Life"

Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seul-gi] Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun criticized on the 6th that the government's legislative amendment proposal, which maintains the current abortion law but allows women to terminate pregnancies up to 14 weeks in the early stages, is an "unconstitutional legal amendment."

In a post on her Facebook that day, Prosecutor Seo said, "The revival of the abortion law with a gestational age limit is an unconstitutional legal amendment that significantly violates the clarity of punishment, subsidiarity, and the possibility of proving the elements of the offense."

She added, "Just as the abolition of adultery law does not mean adultery is encouraged, the abolition of the abortion law does not mean abortion is encouraged," and pointed out, "No woman refrains from abortion out of fear of the abortion law. Only women suffer from 'illegalized abortion.'"

She continued, "Therefore, instead of maintaining an ineffective abortion law, we should protect such precious lives through effective systems and policies," and added, "There is no statistic anywhere that women have engaged in promiscuous sexual behavior or had numerous abortions during the past one and a half years when the abortion law was effectively dormant."

She argued, "Abortion is not about killing life to exercise a woman's right to self-determination but a decision made for the survival of the 'already born life,' the woman herself," and stated, "The state, which has failed to create a society where life can be born and nurtured, should not simply stigmatize and punish women as criminals without making other efforts to build such a society and protect life."

Additionally, Prosecutor Seo lamented, "It pains me deeply that I ultimately could not prevent this within the Ministry of Justice, revealing the limits of my power."

Meanwhile, related ministries including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 7th a legislative amendment proposal to the Criminal Act and the Maternal and Child Health Act. The proposal includes maintaining the current abortion law but allowing abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, and permitting abortion up to 24 weeks in the mid-pregnancy stage after counseling in cases of pregnancy due to sexual crimes or specific reasons.

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