Korea plans abortion pill rollout as doctors, women's groups clash over access

Korea is preparing to introduce abortion pills for pregnancies of nine weeks or less, with rollout expected as early as the first quarter of next year. Women’s groups want wider access and looser prescription rules, while doctors want tighter medical oversight and legal safeguards. The government says the move follows years of legislative deadlock after the Constitutional Court’s 2019 abortion ruling. President Lee Jae Myung also asked officials in July to discuss allowing Mifegyne.

The government said the pills could be introduced for pregnancies of nine weeks or less, as early as the first quarter of next year.

The Constitutional Court ruled in 2019 that criminalizing abortion was unconstitutional, but lawmakers have not passed follow-up legislation.

President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to discuss allowing Mifegyne during a Cabinet meeting in July.

Mifegyne contains mifepristone, was first approved in France in 1988, and is permitted in about 100 countries.

The Korea Women’s Political Network called for eligibility to be raised to at least 10 weeks and objected to restricting prescriptions to medical institutions for the first two years.

Published Sep 17, 2026 3:58 pm KST

Rights advocates seek wider eligibility as physicians call for stronger medical safeguards

Gender Equality and Family Minister Won Min-kyong, center, speaks during a briefing on the introduction of abortion pills, in Jongno District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

As Korea prepares to introduce abortion pills, women’s rights groups and doctors are welcoming the move but remain divided over how broadly the drugs should be made available.

Women's rights advocates are calling for wider eligibility and eased prescription rules, while doctors are urging tighter medical oversight, reflecting a broader debate over how to balance reproductive autonomy with patient safety.

The government on Wednesday announced a plan to allow the use of abortion pills for pregnancies of nine weeks or less, as early as the first quarter of next year.

The move follows a prolonged legislative vacuum since the Constitutional Court ruled in 2019 that the criminalization of abortion was unconstitutional. Lawmakers have remained gridlocked over the deeply divisive issue, leaving follow-up legislation on matters such as permissible gestational limits stalled for years.

Amid that vacuum, abortion pills have circulated illicitly, fueling calls for their formal introduction. President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to discuss allowing Mifegyne during a Cabinet meeting in July.

Mifegyne, a drug containing mifepristone, was first approved in France in 1988 and is permitted in about 100 countries.

"Decisions about pregnancy and childbirth have a significant impact on a woman's entire life, but institutional gaps have long denied an individual's right to safely access the medical system," said Won Min-kyong, minister of gender equality and family.

"Now that the government has formally announced its plan, we expect pregnancy termination to be carried out more safely, easing the burden on women who have no choice but to end a pregnancy due to their socioeconomic circumstances," Won added.

Women's rights groups welcomed the announcement but called for expanded access to the drugs.

The Korea Women's Political Network called for raising the eligibility criteria to at least 10 weeks, citing U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards approving mifepristone and misoprostol for pregnancies of up to 10 weeks from the last menstrual period.

The network also said restricting prescriptions to medical institutions for the first two years after introduction would limit access, particularly for women with little access to obstetric care or those wary of exposing their identities.

"All women who need pregnancy termination should be able to receive medical services safely and with dignity, regardless of their economic, regional or social circumstances," the group said.

Doctors, however, took a cautious stance on expanding access, including pharmacist-dispensed prescriptions.

The Korean Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said Wednesday that patient safety and legal protection for doctors must come first.

"We are not opposed to the introduction in principle. But after more than five years of legislative vacuum, administrative guidelines alone cannot resolve the issue of abortion pills," the association said, urging the National Assembly to work on related legislation.

It added that abortion pills require follow-up care in the event of complications, so their introduction must guarantee patient safety, and that the current lack of legislation leaves doctors without legal protection.

Kim Mee-ran, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, said problems could arise if the drugs are sold indiscriminately at pharmacies.

"I'm not opposed to the introduction and agree such drugs are needed ... But pharmacists don't perform ultrasounds or determine whether a pregnancy is ectopic. We need proper management on this issue," Kim said.

An obstetrician-gynecologist who requested anonymity said a doctor's prescription would be safer than the current practice of buying the drugs illegally, but that access should be tightly controlled rather than expanded.

"There is often more bleeding than expected with miscarriages," she said, adding that taking the drugs at home and self-monitoring recovery after a pharmacist's prescription would be dangerous.

She noted that Korean doctors have little experience prescribing Mifegyne and suggested that, at least initially, some doctors may prefer to use the drug in inpatient settings where patients can be monitored for several days.

She also called for the swift enactment of related legislation. "If abortion pills are provided without related laws in place, it could lead to legal problems," she said, adding that doctors remain unclear on their legal standing in the absence of legislation.

韩国正准备推出针对怀孕九周及以下女性的堕胎药，预计最早于明年第一季度开始实施。妇女团体希望扩大堕胎药的获取途径并放宽处方规定，而医生则希望加强医疗监管和法律保障。政府表示，此举是在宪法法院2019年就堕胎问题作出裁决后，导致立法僵局多年之后做出的。李在明总统也曾在7月份要求官员讨论允许使用米非司酮（Mifegyne）的问题。

政府表示，最早可能从明年第一季度开始，将这种避孕药用于怀孕九周或更短时间的孕妇。

2019 年宪法法院裁定将堕胎定为刑事犯罪违宪，但立法者尚未通过后续立法。

李在明总统在7月的一次内阁会议上指示官员们讨论是否允许使用米非司酮。

米非司酮（Mifegyne）含有米非司酮，于 1988 年在法国首次获得批准，并在约 100 个国家/地区获得许可。

韩国妇女政治网络呼吁将资格期限至少提高到 10 周，并反对将处方限制在医疗机构内，且仅限前两年。

发布于2026年9月17日下午3:58（韩国标准时间）

人权倡导者寻求扩大参保资格范围，医生呼吁加强医疗保障措施。

周三，在首尔钟路区举行的堕胎药引进情况说明会上，性别平等和家庭部长官元珉京（中）发表讲话。（韩联社）

韩国准备引入堕胎药，妇女权益组织和医生们对此表示欢迎，但在堕胎药的普及范围上仍存在分歧。

妇女权益倡导者呼吁扩大适用范围并放宽处方规定，而医生则敦促加强医疗监管，这反映了关于如何在生殖自主权和患者安全之间取得平衡的更广泛辩论。

政府周三宣布了一项计划，允许对怀孕九周或更短时间的孕妇使用堕胎药，最早将于明年第一季度实施。

自2019年宪法法院裁定堕胎刑事化违宪以来，美国在堕胎问题上长期处于立法真空状态。立法者们在这一极具争议的问题上僵持不下，导致诸如允许的妊娠期限等后续立法工作停滞多年。

在法律真空下，堕胎药非法流通，引发了要求正式引入堕胎药的呼声。李在明总统指示官员在7月的内阁会议上讨论允许使用米非司酮（Mifegyne）的问题。

米非司酮（Mifegyne）是一种含有米非司酮的药物，于 1988 年在法国首次获得批准，并在约 100 个国家/地区获得许可。

“有关怀孕和分娩的决定对女性的一生有着重大影响，但长期以来，制度上的缺陷剥夺了个人安全获得医疗服务的权利，”性别平等和家庭部长元敏京说。

“现在政府已经正式宣布了这项计划，我们预计终止妊娠将更加安全，从而减轻因社会经济状况而不得不终止妊娠的妇女的负担，”Won补充道。

妇女权益组织对这一宣布表示欢迎，但呼吁扩大药物获取途径。

韩国妇女政治网络呼吁将资格标准提高到至少 10 周，并援引美国食品药品监督管理局批准米非司酮和米索前列醇用于末次月经后 10 周以内的妊娠的标准。

该网络还表示，在引入后的头两年内将处方限制在医疗机构内，将会限制人们获得药物的机会，特别是对于那些很少有机会获得产科护理的女性或那些不愿暴露自己身份的女性而言。

该组织表示：“所有需要终止妊娠的女性都应该能够安全、有尊严地获得医疗服务，而不受经济、地域或社会状况的影响。”

然而，医生们对扩大用药范围（包括药剂师配药处方）持谨慎态度。

韩国妇产科医师协会周三表示，患者安全和医生的法律保护必须放在首位。

“我们原则上不反对引入堕胎药。但经过五年多的立法真空期，仅靠行政指导方针无法解决堕胎药问题，”该协会表示，并敦促国民议会着手制定相关立法。

报告还指出，堕胎药在出现并发症时需要后续护理，因此其引入必须保证患者安全，而目前缺乏相关立法使得医生缺乏法律保护。

韩国天主教大学首尔圣玛丽医院妇产科教授金美兰表示，如果这些药物在药店随意出售，可能会出现问题。

“我并不反对引入这类药物，也同意这类药物是必要的……但是药剂师不能进行超声检查，也不能判断妊娠是否为宫外孕。我们需要对这个问题进行妥善管理，”金说道。

一位要求匿名的妇产科医生表示，医生的处方比目前非法购买药物的做法更安全，但应该严格控制药物的获取途径，而不是扩大获取途径。

“流产时出血量往往比预期要多，”她说，并补充说，在家服用药剂师开的药物并自行监测恢复情况是危险的。

她指出，韩国医生在开具米非司酮处方方面经验不足，并建议，至少在初期，一些医生可能更倾向于在住院环境中使用该药物，以便对患者进行数天的监测。

她还呼吁尽快颁布相关法律。她说：“如果在没有相关法律的情况下提供堕胎药，可能会导致法律问题。”她补充说，在缺乏法律的情况下，医生的法律地位仍然不明朗。