An amendment to the criminal law permitting abortions up to 24 weeks after pregnancy passed the State Council meeting today (24th).



Articles 269 and 270 of the current criminal law stipulate punishment for women who have had an abortion or doctors who have performed abortion surgery.



However, this amendment to the Criminal Code has created a new provision on the requirement to allow abortion.



First of all, if a woman has a medical abortion within 14 weeks after pregnancy by a doctor according to her decision, it is not punishable even if there are no certain reasons or conditions such as counseling.



Within 15 to 24 weeks of pregnancy, it was decided to allow an abortion in consideration of sex crime-related pregnancy or incest pregnancy, the health of the pregnant woman, and social and economic reasons.



However, for social and economic reasons, pregnant women were asked to receive counseling as prescribed by the Maternal and Child Health Act and have a 24-hour meditation period.



With only a period of counseling and meditation, abortions are virtually permitted up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.



This amendment to the Criminal Code is in response to the Constitutional Court's order to guarantee the right to self-determination of pregnant women.



The Constitution decided that the criminal law, which stipulated punishment for abortion in April last year, excessively infringes on the self-determination of pregnant women.



In response, the government announced legislation last month to amend the Criminal Law and the Maternal and Child Health Act.



The amendment to the Maternal and Child Health Act, which permits drug abortion, passed the State Council on the 17th.



However, it is unclear whether the revised bill of the Criminal Law and the Maternal and Child Health Act that passed the State Council will pass the National Assembly as it is.



This is because the voices of the need to abolish the crime of abortion completely and the voices of opposition that the government's amendment permits excessive abortion are conflicting.



(Photo = Yonhap News)