Abortion.
It is still illegal in Korea, but a growing number of pople are demanding a change.
The debate over the subject heated up recently...
with even the presidential office chiming in.
Park Hee-jun sheds light on the varying views on the topic and the potential direction ahead.
In the heart of the capital, through Gwanghwamun Square, hundreds of women have gathered to
protest against a ban on abortion.
(SOV) "If abortion is a crime, the nation is the
criminal."
"Abolish the anti-abortion law "
(standup) ed: Mark “This protest in central Seoul is calling
for a change in Korea’s anti-abortion law.
A controversy, between those on the sides of pro-life and pro-choice, is brewing in
a country where abortion has been illegal since 1953."
The protest on December 2 adds to a series of other campaigns calling for the abolishion
of the anti-abortion law in Korea.
The debate on this topic has been around for decades, but it recently gained major attention
after more than 230-thousand citizens signed a petition on the presidential office's website,...
demanding the abolishment of the anti-abortion law.
This follows President Moon Jae-in's plege in August that the top office will respond
to any petition that is endorsed by more than 200-thousand people, within 30 days.
Abortion was made illegal in 1953.
Then, in 1973,...the Maternal and Child Health Law was established to except certain cases
from the ban.
Under the law, women can have an abortion under limited circumstances, such as rape
or incest, when a parent is suffering from a certain disease pre-designated by law, and
when the pregnancy can jeapardize the mother's life.
The pro-life front argues that the current law is the first and only means to protect
the life of an unborn baby, or fetus.
(Korean) "We need the law, because it allows people
to understand that every life from the beginning deserves dignity and respect.
And if it's abolished, men will likely care less about birth control and simply place
the burden on women's shoulders."
However, voices calling for a change are gaining ground.
(Korean) "The current law does not reflect the reality
that women face.
Korea's society is not a good environment for women to have children, but the law practically
forces them to do so."
In many cases, the legal procedures that women have to go through to have an abortion validated
make it practically impossible to actually have one, even when they fill the requirements
to be considered exception cases.
Due to these circumstances, many women seeking to have an abortion opt for services of unauthorized
hospitals that are generally unsafe, at much higher costs.
There are also those who are criticizing the government's history of using women as a tool
for population control.
(Korean) "The government has long been using legislation
as a method for birth control.
When the country was becoming overpopulated,...the government would encourage abortion.
And when it was underpopulated, it would use women as a birth tool."
Amid growing heated debates regarding abortion and the rights of women, the Blue House responded
to the online petition of abolishing anti-abortion laws on November 26, saying it will begin
research on the issue next year.
The top office also acknowledged that the law does not hold men or the nation responsible,
and it only punishes women.
(Korean) "Even if their situation falls under the boundaries
of the Maternal and Child Health Law,...women need their guardians' approval to qualify
for abortion.
That's a highly patriarchal system that violates women's human rights."
(Korean) "Men are exempt from the anti-abortion law,
which places all the responsibility on to women.
The law needs to change so that they are both equally involved in all the steps, including
birth and nurturing."
Most importantly,...regardless of their opposing arguments, both sides agree on the need for
a fundamental change within Korea's conservative society.
Not only must there be financial support, such as housing and education,...but also
preventive measures and a safe environment that allow women to decide to have children,
whenever and with whoever they choose,... before even considering having an abortion.
(Korean) "Korean society is very different from other
OECD nations.
It's very conservative, as reflected on the law, and widely restricts women from making
their own choices."
Until now, laws were only focused on women's pregnancy and childbearing, as if women's
lives are limited to that period alone.
However, their health rights account for a longer duration, or more precisely, between
their first menstrual period to menopause.
To protect their reproductive rights, certain preventive measures must be made, such as
sex education for both adolescents and adults,... and less restrictive access to emergency contraceptive
methods, including pills.
By preventing unwanted pregnancies, it will ultimately lead to a society with less abortions.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.