PM-abortion pill

▲ Prime Minister Han Seong-sook speaks during a government policy coordination meeting at the government complex in Seoul on Sept. 16, 2026. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- The government will consider allowing the use of abortion pills for women up to nine weeks pregnant, as related regulations remain unrevised following the Constitutional Court's 2019 striking down of the abortion ban, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Wednesday.

While such an institutional vacuum remains unclosed, some women are resorting to "dangerous methods" and the problem should no longer be left unattended because it amounts to neglecting the people's lives and safety, Han said during a government policy coordination meeting.

"We will discuss introducing abortion pills in phases for those up to nine weeks of pregnancy," Han said.

For the first two years, both prescription and dispensing will take place directly at hospitals, and when necessary conditions are fulfilled, the system will shift to doctors prescribing and pharmacies dispensing, Han said.

"Safety is more important than anything else," she said. "We must come up with measures to help women in need to receive treatment within the safe medical system, rather than having to rely on unverified methods."

Han said the government is seriously taking "concerns regarding the value of life" too.

"This measure is aimed at protecting the people's health rather than encouraging abortion. We ask for your broad understanding of this intent," she said.

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