제 2 호 Legal Abortion, Agree or Disagree?
Kicker: DEBATE
Legal Abortion, Agree or Disagree?
The Constitutional Court Made its Decision, How About You?
by Sarah Chae, Editor
Abortion is one of the most controversial issues in the world. In South Korea, abortion is illegal but is permitted in cases of rape, incest, or on additional enumerated grounds. However in the U.K, U.S.A, and China abortion is legal. Recently the Constitutional Court has made its decision on whether the current abortion law is unconstitutional or not. Just before their decision, a rally was held at a similar time and place between those who agree or oppose legal abortion. What do you think, do you think abortion should be legal? Let’s take a look at the Positive/Negative opinions and the decision of the Constitutional Court.
Rally held at a similar time and place between those who agree or oppose legal abortion.
Legal Abortion: Agree
Some people say that the end must come to the history that controls a woman’s body. The history of controlling and punishing women's bodies and threatening their health and life must come to an end. Women have the right to chose what to do with their body. Having a child is not the happiest thing in the world to everybody. In this case, abortion could save a woman from having dangerous mental problems, or giving birth to an unwanted child. Giving birth and taking care of a child is actually also a process that could be dangerous physically, mentally, financially, and in many other ways. It is a big change in one’s life, especially to the women. Therefore, to these people the choice to be able to get an abortion in a safe environment could be giving them the choice to live on, healthily.
Legal Abortion: Disagree
Some people say that a fetus is powerless and is a part of the socially weak people. To these people, the smallest and most powerless social underdog being erased, which should be the safest, is the worst tragedy on Earth and the same as the acts of terror or genocide. The right to life is the basic right guaranteed by the state, which means that life to the fetus must also be guaranteed. In this case the survival of ‘illegal’ abortion is a step toward a mature society where even the most vulnerable and defenseless human being can be respected.
The Constitutional Court’s Decicsion
The Constitutional Court decided that, Article 269 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Law, which punishes a pregnant women's self-abortion, and that any part of Article 270 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Law, which punishes doctors for performing an abortion with consignment or consent, does not conform to the Constitution, and that the above provisions continue to apply until the legislature revises the law on November 2020. In a press release, the National Human Rights Commission welcomed this decision because it is meaningful that the Court has changed their attitude and admitted the pregnant women’s right to self-determination.
The Constitutional Court making its decision on whether the current abortion law is unconstitutional or not. (April 11, 2019)
The Constitutional Court has made their choice.Some may think this is or is not enough, or maybe that this decision is too much for them. I ask again, how do you think about Legal Abortion? Are you for or against it?
*Sources:
http://www.kwdi.re.kr/research/ntrandView.do?p=1&idx=124061
https://www.ccourt.go.kr/cckhome/kor/ccourt/pressrelease/selectPressrelease.do#
http://www.womennews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=187794
https://www.worldabortionlaws.com
http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?art_id=201903302020001
http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/04/11/2019041102030.html?utm_source=urlcopy&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=news
