South Korea will allow medication abortion up to nine weeks
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South Korea’s government plans to allow doctors to prescribe and dispense abortion pills for pregnancies of up to nine weeks, beginning in March 2027.
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook announced the plan to address risks associated with unregulated abortions and a legal gap following the 2019 Constitutional Court ruling that invalidated the country’s abortion ban. Currently, South Korea lacks legislation fully addressing abortion access after lawmakers failed to pass replacement laws by a 2020 deadline.
The government will first permit doctors at major hospitals to both prescribe and dispense Mifegymiso, a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, for two years. Afterwards, they intend to transition to a system where doctors issue prescriptions and pharmacies fill them. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is currently reviewing Hyundai Pharm’s application to import Mifegymiso, hoping to approve it by early next year.
Officials also plan to create clinical guidelines, monitor adverse reactions, and revise relevant laws like the Criminal Act and the Maternal and Child Health Act. Minister Won Min-kyong stated the policy will offer women safe options for terminating pregnancies within the healthcare system and reduce financial hardship. The government emphasizes the goal is public health and safety, not the promotion of abortion.
