Seven-Year Legislative Vacuum on Abortion Law... Minister Won Minkyoung Says "Ongoing Discussions Among Ministries"

An event was held to help reduce gender perception gaps regarding youth mental health, pregnancy, childbirth, and sexual and reproductive health rights.

Minister Won Minkyoung of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family attended the "1st Gender Equality Unboxing Talk" held at Community House Masil in Jung-gu, Seoul on April 29. Minister Won discussed with expert and youth panelists the mental health issues among young people that differ by gender, such as depression and suicide, as well as the patterns of physical health, including sexual and reproductive health rights.

Won Minkyeong, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, attended the "1st Gender Balance On-Site Policy Proposal Gender Equality Unboxing Talk" held on the 29th at the Community House Masil in Jung-gu, Seoul, engaging in a conversation with young people on the topic of "Opening the Box of Youth's Body, Mind, and Gender." Provided by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family

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At the event, participants pointed out the ongoing "legislative vacuum" that has persisted for seven years since the Constitutional Court’s decision in April 2019 that the abortion ban was unconstitutional, due to the absence of alternative legislation.

Kim Haeon, a human rights facilitator who participated as a youth panelist, stated, "During the ongoing legislative vacuum for abortion law, young people and victims of sexual exploitation who lack information and resources are facing even greater difficulties." Kim added, "Accessing medical care itself is challenging due to conditions requiring parental consent, stigmatizing attitudes from medical institutions, and fear of personal information being exposed."

Kim Dongsik, Senior Research Fellow at the Korean Women’s Development Institute, also noted, "Women who cannot access medical facilities or counseling end up purchasing drugs through illegal distribution channels, causing them physical and psychological difficulties."

Among young people in their 20s and 30s who have considered or experienced pregnancy termination, 159 out of 640 respondents (24.8%) reported having purchased drugs via online or social network service (SNS) brokers, according to a survey.

Regarding this, Minister Won Minkyoung stated, "Various government ministries are continuing discussions to resolve the issue of the legislative vacuum," and added, "With every round of discussions, we are making gradual progress."

The event also introduced examples of improving gender imbalance, such as providing preconception health care support regardless of marital status or gender, and offering HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccinations to adolescent boys.

Since last year, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been implementing a support project for preconception health care, providing up to three sessions per lifetime for men and women aged 20 to 49, once per age group and period, regardless of marital status. For women, ovarian function tests (AMH) and gynecological ultrasounds are covered, while men are supported with semen analysis (including detailed sperm morphology tests).

From September 18, a new policy will allow a total of five days of spousal leave for miscarriage or stillbirth, and spouses will be able to take leave up to 50 days before the expected due date.

Starting June 6, the Ministry will provide HPV vaccinations to 12-year-old boys and plans to expand the coverage by one age year annually, supporting boys up to 17 years old. Senior Research Fellow Kim stated, "Since HPV is transmitted through sexual contact, it is important for both men and women to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity."

Regarding the "Public Menstrual Pad Dream Pilot Program" to be implemented from July, Senior Research Fellow Kim emphasized its significance as "recognizing menstruation not as a private issue that individuals must bear alone, but as a fundamental right to health, dignity, and equality that society must guarantee."

Kim also stated, "Menstrual leave and menstrual absence are not privileges for women or reverse discrimination against men, but rather practical equality measures to compensate for disadvantages in education and workforce participation."

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He stressed, "Sexual and reproductive health should not be seen as a women's issue alone. Matters such as contraception, HPV, sexually transmitted infections, fertility preservation, and infertility should be treated as shared responsibilities and rights of both men and women."

He further added, "Regardless of gender or marital status, everyone should have their sexual and reproductive health and rights guaranteed without discrimination or stigma, and a legal and support system is needed to ensure this."

Moon Joohyun, Associate Research Fellow at the Korean Women’s Development Institute, discussed gender imbalance in the context of youth mental health.

He stated, "The area with the strongest gender differences was undoubtedly safety," and added, "The proportion of women who felt anxious about crime and walking at night was overwhelmingly higher than that of men."

He went on to say, "This is because the perception of whether one can defend oneself from violence or be institutionally protected is expressed very differently among women compared to men."

According to the "Quality of Life of Youth 2025" report, 49.4% of women said they felt anxious when walking at night, compared to only 11.8% of men. Among young people who felt anxious about crime, 53.5% were women and 31.2% were men, clearly showing the gap.

In addition, while more women visit the emergency room due to suicide attempts, the number of suicide deaths is higher among men.

On this point, Associate Research Fellow Moon said, "Gender norms operate at every stage of recognizing, expressing, and seeking help for pain," and explained, "Considering this, current suicide prevention and mental health policies that simply identify and treat high-risk groups for suicide need to move toward a more social approach."

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