Seoul: The South Korean Catholic Church has expressed "deep concerns" over government plans to formally introduce abortion pills and urged for a reconsideration. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) made the call in a statement issued Wednesday after the government announced plans to allow the use of abortion pills by women up to nine weeks pregnant.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the CBCK voices deep concerns as this measure would only institutionalize abortion in an "orderly" manner, without changing its fundamental nature, while allowing a disregard for life to be more deeply rooted in society. The Korean Catholic Church mentioned that the phased introduction of abortion pills is merely a "road map" to expand them, emphasizing that regardless of how well the process is built, it does not change the fact that the pill ends a human life in the womb.
The CBCK highlighted that a society truly respecting humans is not one that eliminates the most vulnerable life to ease women's difficulties but one that assumes responsibility so that women do not have to give up on new life. In line with this perspective, it urged the government to establish a social safety net to better support women, including housing and medical support, counseling services, and strengthening men's joint responsibility within a legal framework.
The organization earnestly requested the government and the National Assembly to contemplate this matter deeply and choose a path that protects life while practically assisting women. The government plans, under which abortion pills will be introduced in phases, came as related regulations remained unchanged following the Constitutional Court's 2019 decision to strike down the abortion ban.