Lee urges measures for abortion pill access, calling government inaction ‘irresponsible’

President Lee Jae-myung has sharply criticized the government's "irresponsible" inaction regarding the availability of abortion pills in South Korea. He highlighted that the nation remains in a legal gray area concerning abortion access years after the Constitutional Court struck down the ban in 2019, with a 2021 effective date.

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It seems as though women are taking [pills] that they get shipped in from abroad because we haven’t authorized them for use.

During a Cabinet meeting, Lee pointed out that women are increasingly obtaining abortion pills from overseas, a practice that exposes them to significant health risks due to the lack of regulatory oversight. He urged the government to establish practical measures ensuring that women who need the abortion pill can "reasonably access" it, even if this presents challenges. Lee cautioned against turning every issue into a matter of principle, which he believes leads to inaction.

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Turning every issue into a matter of principle is a good way to ensure nothing gets done.

"There's a possibility that we keep discussing this issue and it still doesn’t get solved before I leave office," Lee stated, emphasizing the urgency. He proposed that the government should authorize a specific timeframe for abortions and allow doctors to prescribe the pill within that period. "Women who actually need [the pill] are being left in the lurch in a legal gray area and end up buying drugs from abroad without any oversight. By shirking its responsibility, the government is putting Koreans at risk."

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Women who actually need [the pill] are being left in the lurch in a legal gray area and end up buying drugs from abroad without any oversight. By shirking its responsibility, the government is putting Koreans at risk.

Lee suggested that the government could also consider allowing physicians to exercise discretion in prescribing the abortion pill, even before comprehensive legislation is enacted. "It might not be perfect, but it’s better than doing nothing at all," he remarked. He instructed Prime Minister Han Seong-sook to coordinate relevant agencies to find a "balanced compromise," stressing that the issue cannot be overlooked.

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I think there’s a way in which we allow physicians to determine whether to prescribe [abortion pills] at their discretion, even before we come up with legislation. It might not be perfect, but it’s better than doing nothing at all.