Seoul: The government has unveiled plans to formally permit the use of abortion pills for women up to nine weeks pregnant, addressing a regulatory gap following the Constitutional Court's 2019 decision to strike down the abortion ban. This development was announced during a government policy coordination meeting involving the ministries of gender equality, health, and food and drug safety, highlighting potential risks to women's health and safety due to the existing institutional vacuum.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the introduction of abortion pills will occur in phases. Initially, both prescription and dispensing will be conducted directly at hospitals for the first two years. Subsequently, the system will transition to allowing doctors to prescribe and pharmacies to dispense the medication once necessary conditions are fulfilled. The food and drug safety ministry has started receiving applications for the approval of these pills for use by women up to nine weeks pregnant and will assess their safety and quality prior to proceeding.
"Our goal is to introduce the pills within the first quarter next year on the condition related procedures are fully carried out," stated a drug ministry official in a separate briefing. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook expressed concern over women resorting to "dangerous methods," emphasizing that the issue should not be neglected as it pertains to people's lives and safety. "Safety is more important than anything else," Han remarked, urging the development of measures to enable women to receive treatment within a safe medical system rather than relying on unverified methods.
Prime Minister Han also addressed concerns regarding the value of life, affirming that the measure aims to protect public health rather than promote abortion. "We ask for your broad understanding of this intent," she added. The formal introduction of abortion pills is one of the key administrative tasks under the Lee Jae Myung government. The initiative gained momentum after Lee instructed the government in July to explore options for allowing women to safely use abortion pills even before the necessary legal framework is established.