Deciding for Yourself: South Korea’s Advance Directive for Life-Sustaining Treatment

Adults aged 19 or older in South Korea can decide in advance whether they want life-sustaining treatment by completing an advance directive. The system applies if they later become patients in the dying process and covers procedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, dialysis and mechanical ventilation when they offer no therapeutic benefit and only prolong the dying process.

The directive must be completed in person at an institution designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Telephone or postal applications are not allowed, and family members cannot apply on someone else’s behalf. Applicants must bring identification and complete a face-to-face consultation with a counselor.

Designated institutions include the National Health Insurance Service, local public health institutions, senior welfare centers and medical institutions. A total of 598 institutions are registered. People can find them through the National Agency for Management of Life-Sustaining Treatment website or its customer center at 1855-0075.

Anyone who changes their mind can withdraw the directive at any time. They may visit a nearby registration institution or log in to the agency’s website and select the service for viewing their own advance directive before filing a withdrawal.