The government has decided to gradually introduce abortion pills for pregnancies up to nine weeks, with President Lee stating, "It's a better decision to do what we can now rather than wait for a perfect solution." The government plans to manage the abortion pill within the national healthcare system following approval and review procedures.
On September 17, President Lee expressed his stance on the introduction of abortion pills on X (formerly Twitter), noting, "It has been seven years since the Constitutional Court ruled the abortion law unconstitutional."
He added, "During this time, women have had to rely on overseas purchases or illegal transactions to obtain safe abortion pills, risking their safety in the process."
He further explained, "While fixing a leaking roof, the floor still gets wet," emphasizing that the decision to gradually introduce abortion pills, made during a national policy coordination meeting yesterday, was based on this reasoning. He stressed, "The most important thing is the health and safety of women," and assured that the safety management system would be thoroughly examined during the introduction process, while also listening to voices from the medical field.
Earlier, on September 16, the government discussed the introduction of abortion pills during the 14th National Policy Coordination Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Han Seung-soo. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety agreed to gradually introduce the pills for pregnancies up to nine weeks and manage them within the national healthcare system.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is currently reviewing the safety, efficacy, and quality of the abortion pills under consideration for import approval, based on their use within 63 days of pregnancy, or nine weeks. They are also reviewing application materials related to drug risk management plans.
In the initial two years of introduction, the pills will be dispensed through medical institutions where doctors will handle both prescriptions and dispensing. After evaluating side effects and the safety of the drug use environment, the government plans to consider expanding the process to allow dispensing at pharmacies following a doctor's prescription.
The government explained that this measure aims to address the legislative and institutional gap that has persisted since the Constitutional Court's ruling on the abortion law in 2019. Given that abortion pills have been circulating informally without formal approval in the country, the goal is to ensure safety through regulation and management within the national healthcare system.
Additionally, the government plans to push for legal and institutional reforms related to abortion. They intend to participate in discussions on amending the Maternal and Child Health Act and the Criminal Code to address related legislative gaps. However, formal distribution of the pills in the country will still require the approval and review process from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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