South Korea announced plans to approve abortion medications for the first time, marking a significant shift in a country that previously enforced some of the strictest anti-abortion laws among developed nations. The government intends to introduce the drugs in phases, beginning in the first quarter of 2027, seven years after the Constitutional Court declared a longstanding ban on most abortions unconstitutional.
President Lee Jae-myung highlighted the legal gap that has left women without access to safe procedures. On social media, he noted that many women have resorted to overseas purchases or illegal transactions, exposing themselves to significant risks. “Even while fixing a leaking roof, the floor gets wet,” Lee said, arguing that implementing partial measures now is preferable to waiting for a comprehensive legislative solution.
Won Min-kyong, the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, outlined the proposal, which would allow women up to nine weeks pregnant to obtain the medication via prescription at hospitals or clinics. The initial two-year rollout will serve as a monitoring period for safety issues and side effects. Won stated that the move aims to strengthen the policy foundation for women’s overall health, including pregnancy, childbirth, and contraception.
Before the 2019 constitutional ruling, abortion was illegal except in cases of rape or incest. Data from the South Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs indicates that the number of abortions dropped from an estimated 241,411 in 2008 to 32,063 in 2020. Officials have attributed this decline to improved contraceptive access, anti-abortion campaigns, and a more supportive social environment for childbirth.
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook addressed conservative critics by emphasizing that the policy prioritizes public health over the encouragement of abortion. “This measure is aimed at protecting the people’s health rather than encouraging abortion,” Han said, adding that the government is taking concerns regarding the value of life seriously.
The approved regimen involves a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, the standard medication for medical abortion in the United States. Mifepristone blocks progesterone to halt pregnancy development, while misoprostol, taken one to two days later, empties the uterus. Although the World Health Organization recommends the combination for pregnancies up to 12 weeks, South Korean officials set the limit at nine weeks because the specific product seeking approval was only tested on women up to that stage.
Global usage of these medications varies widely. According to the WHO’s Global Abortion Policies Database, 84 countries have officially recognized mifepristone or its combination with misoprostol, with significant adoption in Europe, Africa, and Asia. France and China were the first to approve mifepristone in 1988, and the U.S. followed in 2000. In the U.S., medication abortions accounted for 63% of all abortions in states without total bans in 2023.
Reactions within South Korea have been mixed. The Korea Women’s Political Network welcomed the decision as a crucial step toward establishing safe, institutionalized access. However, the group cautioned that requiring prescriptions and limiting dispensing to clinical settings could hinder access for women struggling to see obstetrician-gynecologists. They also urged extending the eligibility window to ten weeks.
Conversely, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea opposed the expansion, calling instead for support systems to help pregnant women in crisis carry their pregnancies to term. Medical professionals also expressed concerns, with the Korean Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stating they are not opposed in principle but demand legal protections for doctors who administer or refuse the medication given the current lack of clear legislation.
Will rural women actually get access if only clinics can prescribe these? Hope the distribution network expands quickly.
The phased approach seems practical given the political climate. Safety monitoring first makes sense.
I’m surprised they’re limiting it to nine weeks. Couldn’t this be extended to twelve like the WHO recommends?
Finally, a step toward safety for women. Seven years is too long to wait after the constitutional ruling.