National Survey Reveals Broad Support for Abortion Access, Diverging Views on Regulation
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – A new nationwide survey indicates important support for abortion access in South Korea, with roughly four in ten respondents believing women should be able to terminate a pregnancy at any point based on personal judgment. The research, conducted by[ResearchServiceName-[ResearchServiceName-[ResearchServiceName-[ResearchServiceName-not specified in text]among 402 people aged 15 to 49 (300 women, 102 men), highlights a complex landscape of opinions surrounding reproductive rights as the nation grapples with legal ambiguities.
The study reveals 44.6% of women and 44.1% of men agree “Women should be able to perform artificial abortion at any time during pregnancy based on their own judgment and choice.” Further, 36.6% of women and 34.3% of men stated that abortion should be permitted even without full legalization, “if there is a justifiable reason.” These findings come as South Korea’s abortion laws remain in a state of flux following a 2019 Constitutional Court ruling that deemed existing laws unconstitutional, mandating legislative action by the end of 2020 – a deadline that passed without resolution.
The survey also uncovered notable gender differences regarding decision-making authority. While a majority of women (68.6%) believe the pregnant woman should have the sole right to decide on an abortion, less than half of men (41.2%) share that view. Approximately 24.3% of women and 42.1% of men advocate for decisions to be made jointly with the woman’s partner. Regarding gestational limits, women expressed greater support for access throughout pregnancy, with 24% supporting abortion at any time based on the woman’s request, compared to 8.8% of men. Men favored earlier gestational limits, with 30.3% citing before 14 weeks as acceptable.
The government has identified improving abortion laws and introducing abortion medication as key national priorities. Currently,the lack of updated legislation is creating widespread confusion.The survey also addressed medication abortion, finding strong support for requiring a doctor’s prescription (86.3% of women, 72.5% of men) and acknowledging a doctor’s right to refuse to perform the procedure (63.6% of women, 51.9% of men).
