South Korea to Broaden Public Debate on End-of-Life Care Timing

South Korea's government is initiating a broad public discussion on the timing of discontinuing life-sustaining treatment, proposing a shift from the current 'imminent death' stage to the 'terminal illness' stage. This move aims to better respect patients' autonomy and provide clearer guidelines for end-of-life care decisions.

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The timing of discontinuing life-sustaining treatment is late if it is during the imminent death stage.

In conjunction with this, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced plans to enhance accessibility for advance directives. Currently requiring in-person completion, the government intends to expand the system to allow for online registration. Furthermore, efforts will be made to develop hospice care models specifically tailored for nursing homes, alongside expanding hospice bed availability.

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We plan to publicly discuss advancing the timing of discontinuation.

These initiatives are part of the "Second Comprehensive Plan for Hospice and Life-Sustaining Treatment," which was deliberated and confirmed by the National Hospice and Life-Sustaining Treatment Committee. The government believes these changes will improve the quality of care for patients nearing the end of life and ensure their wishes are respected throughout the process.

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We will begin full-scale implementation of the nursing home hospice business next year.