The South Korean government is moving to formally introduce a medication for terminating a pregnancy that can be used within nine weeks of gestation. For the first two years, doctors will prescribe and dispense the drug directly within medical institutions, and the government will consider a gradual expansion after reviewing side effects and safety. It is the first government-level effort to overhaul the system in the seven years since the Constitutional Court ruled in 2019 that criminal penalties for abortion were unconstitutional.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said they reported the plan at the 14th National Policy Coordination Meeting held at the Government Complex Seoul on the 16th. The measure follows through on a national policy task and on President Lee Jae-myung's instruction in July to examine the possibility of allowing medication for terminating a pregnancy.
The government's policy is to bring such medication, which has circulated through unofficial channels, into the national health care system for safe management. It judged that the legislative vacuum after the Constitutional Court ruling and the delay in introducing the medication had led to illegal distribution of unverified drugs and the use of substitutes, creating problems for women's health and safety. The government also said there are constraints on choosing between surgery and medication, and that delays in terminating a pregnancy create socioeconomic burdens such as higher costs.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is currently reviewing an application for import approval of the medication. The drug under review is premised on use within 63 days, or nine weeks, of pregnancy, based on clinical trial data. The ministry plans to proceed with the process after examining submitted materials on safety, efficacy and quality, as well as a risk management plan for the drug. The risk management plan includes the collection and assessment of adverse events after marketing, surveys of safety information, and educational materials for patients and medical professionals.
Even if the drug is approved, dispensing at ordinary pharmacies will not be permitted right away. The Ministry of Health and Welfare decided that, for the first two years, the drug will in principle be prescribed and dispensed directly by doctors within medical institutions. It will then review side effects and safety before considering a gradual expansion.
"We expect that terminating a pregnancy will be carried out more safely under the national health care system and that the burden on women in difficult socioeconomic circumstances will be eased," Gender Equality and Family Minister Won Min-kyung said.
