Korean bishops: Abortion is not the only option
The Statement of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea on the Partial Amendment to the Maternal and Child Health Act, currently under discussion in the country, aims to fill a legal vacuum created by the 2019 Supreme Court ruling decriminalising abortion. The South Korean Church calls for mandatory counselling and a period of reflection before terminating a pregnancy and for the strengthening of men's shared responsibility in childcare.
Seoul (AsiaNews) – During its recent assembly, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of (South) Korea revisited the issue of abortion, which remains a hot topic in the country.
The current administration led by President Lee Jae Myung is pushing for parliamentary approval of an amendment to the Maternal and Child Health Act to fill a legal gap created by a 2019 Supreme Court ruling, which decriminalised artificial termination of pregnancy in the country in the absence of specific legislation.
The debate has further heated up in recent weeks after the Seoul Central District Court, on 4 March, convicted a woman and several doctors of infanticide for performing a 36-week abortion in Incheon in 2024, killing a baby who had in fact been born alive.
Below we publish the full text of the statement released by South Korean bishops, which expresses concern over the approach that reduces such a sensitive issue, which involves the protection of life, to a mere "personal choice”.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea once again expresses deep concern that the recently proposed "Partial Amendment to the Maternal and Child Health Act" views abortion as a matter of personal "choice" and effectively promotes "abortion liberalization."
Abortion, which artificially terminates life in the womb, is an act of "murder" that harms the most precious and powerless life given by God. Life is a holy gift from God, an absolute value that cannot be undermined by human convenience or legal rhetoric. Therefore, the Bishops' Conference proposes the following measures to save both the fetus and the pregnant woman and to build a culture of life.
1. Call for the establishment of a legal justice for respect for life.
It is truly a shame as a country ruled by the rule of law that the legislative vacuum has been prolonged for several years since the Constitutional Court ruled that the crime of abortion is unconstitutional in 2019. The most urgent thing now is not to amend some provisions of the Maternal and Child Health Act, but to correctly amend the Criminal Code and establish legal principles. Without a fundamental revision of the criminal law, we cannot prevent the tragedy of the trend of disregard for life being enacted into law. The establishment of a correct criminal law is very important to fully guarantee the health of pregnant women and the right to life of the fetus.
2. We urge the introduction of an effective 'deliberation period' and 'mandatory counseling'.
What those who are considering abortion need is enough time and the right information to choose their lives. Rather than going through a formal process, it should be mandatory to have a consultation with a deliberation period of at least a few weeks. On the other hand, by actively utilizing the currently operating 'Support Center for Pregnant Women in Crisis', we will be able to establish a system that presents and supports various options other than abortion.
3. We urge you to respect the conscience of doctors and protect 'life-saving hospitals'.
The state must protect hospitals that are faithful to the basic conscience of medical personnel and refuse to kill lives. We should systematically label 'hospitals that do not perform abortions' to instill a sense of pride in protecting lives among medical staff and spread a culture of saving lives socially.
4. Call for regulating the indiscriminate distribution of abortion drugs and protecting women's health.
Abortion pills can never be an 'easy solution' and leave pregnant women with severe physical and mental trauma. These abortion drugs must be strictly controlled to prevent them from being distributed indiscriminately.
5. Urges to strengthen men's shared responsibility for pregnancy and childbirth.
Women and men are subjects who share responsibility for pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Therefore, the state should supplement the system and create an environment where the baby's parents can be born in blessing while the baby's parents are responsible together.
6. The true right to self-determination must begin with the 'right to give birth and raise'.
We must first change the social structures and cultural perceptions that force women to "choose" abortion. To this end, the state should take practical measures to ensure that children can continue to give birth and raise children with peace of mind, such as groundbreaking support for families with children, expansion of support systems for child support, and expansion of care facilities in schools and workplaces.
Protecting life is protecting the dignity of the entire community. In order for our society to move towards a culture of life rather than a culture of death, I urge the government and the National Assembly to make efforts to improve their legislative activities and systems responsibly.
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