South Korea blocks oral abortion pill approval even though 101 countries allow its use
The Korean Gender Equality and Family Ministry cites 101 nations using mifepristone–misoprostol yet South Korea’s three approval bids since 2021 remain rejected
It is known that oral abortion drugs are used in 101 countries around the world. Among the 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 33 allow their use, with South Korea among the exceptions.
President Lee Jae-myung stated at a cabinet meeting on the 14th that, even before the relevant laws are revised, the government should examine ways to allow the use of abortion drugs based on medical professionals’ judgment. Afterward, Minister Won Min-kyung of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that inter-ministerial discussions led by the Office for Government Policy Coordination are scheduled to begin in earnest, drawing heightened public attention to abortion medications.
SOURCE: https://www.dongascience.com/en/news/79005
+++
Abortion legislation returns to spotlight after 7-year limbo: President’s remarks on abortion pill put long-stalled legislation back in focus
Seven years after the Constitutional Court struck down the abortion ban in Korea, the country’s stalled effort to establish a new legal framework has returned to the spotlight following President Lee Jae Myung’s call to review the introduction of the abortion pill mifepristone.
The issue stems from legislation left unresolved since the court ruled in 2019 that the criminal provision on abortion was incompatible with the Constitution and ordered lawmakers to revise it by the end of 2020.
Although the criminal provision lost its legal effect after the deadline passed, the National Assembly has yet to pass replacement legislation defining when and under what conditions abortions are permitted.
SOURCE: Korean Times, by Bahk Eun-ji. 19 July 2026.