(Source: ImpAwards)
Lee Myung-bak may be able to avoid the issue of abortion in the remaining years of his presidency, but this successor certainly won’t. Like Lindsay Lohan says, some stories do indeed keep on growing.
Not so much because Koreans feel strongly about abortion itself though. Rather, because this is the same president that immediately tried to abolish the (then) Ministry of Gender Equality for instance, despite campaign promises not to. And also, because a year later, he encouraged targeting women for mass layoffs as a solution to the financial crisis. Criminalizing abortion simply in order to increase the birthrate rate then, is really part and parcel of a wider mentality that is fundamentally failing to get to grips with women’s entrenched inequality here. And perhaps could come be the symbol and/or catalyst for later volatile protests about any number of related issues, much like those in 2008 were never really simply about imported beef.
Until then, following on from this earlier post about a video that alerted me to the fact that doctors were getting (suspended) sentences for performing abortions, I’ve translated the following article to give you more information about those. And in the process, I’ve confirmed commenter Matt of Gusts of Popular Feeling’s point about it that no doctor mentioned actually had to spend any time in jail.
However, as you’ll see, the article does not appear to say that the manager of the gynecology clinic in Suwon also got a suspended sentence, which would presumably mean that in fact he or she at least did go to jail. Which seems just a little unfair and confusing, so if anyone with better Korean skills can please clarify, then that would be much appreciated!^^ (source, right)
“ģė°ė„ø āėķģ£ā ģ¤ķģ ź³ ė¶ė¹ķ“” “Continued Sentences for ‘Abortion Crimes’ are Unjust”
<ģģ ā¤ģ¶ģ° ź²°ģ ź¶ģ ģķ ė¤ķøģķ¬>ź·ķģ±ėŖ
ė°ķ / A Public Denouncement by The Network for Pregnancy & Birth Decision Rights (NPBDR)
ģµź·¼ ė¤ģ“ ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ģ ģģ ķ ģģ¬ģź² ģ¤ķģ“ ģ ź³ ėė ģ¬ė”ź° ģė°ė„“ģ ģ“ģ ėķ ė¹ķģ ėŖ©ģė¦¬ź° ģ»¤ģ§ź³ ģė¤. ģ“ė”ģ ģø ģ²ė² ź°ķź° ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ģģ ģ ģģ¶ģ ź°ģ øģ ģ¬ģ±ė¤ģ ģģ ź³¼ ź±“ź°ģ ģķķ ź²ģ“ė¼ė ģ°ė ¤ģģė¤.
Recently, criticism has been growing of the numbers of doctors receiving sentences for performing abortions. There is a great deal of worry and anxiety that singling out abortion laws for enforcement will reduce the number of abortions and be dangerous for women’s safety and health.
āģģ ģ¤ģ ā ģģ ģģ¬ģź² ģ¤ķķź²° ģė°ė¼ / Doctors are continually being sentenced for performing abortions
ģ§ė 9ģ 3ģ¼ ģøģ°ģ§ė°©ė²ģģ ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ģ ģģ ķ ģģ¬ģź² 1ģ¬ģģ ģ§ģ 6ģģ ģ§ķģ ģ 1ė , ģź²©ģ ģ§ 1ė ģ ģ ź³ ķė¤. ģ“ģ ģģ ģ§ė 8ģ ģģģ§ė°©ė²ģģ ģģ ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ģģ ķģė” ź³ ė°ė ģ°ė¶ģøź³¼ ģģ¬ģ ģ¬ė¬“ģ„ģź² ź°ź° ģ§ģ 1ė ģ ģ§ķģ ģ 2ė , ģ§ģ 2ė 6ģģ ģ¤ķģ ģ ź³ ķė¤.
On the 3rd of September, in the first session of a case at Ulsan District Court, a doctor who performed an abortion was given a 6-month jail sentence suspended for 1 year (i.e. no jail), and was stripped of their doctor’s license for 1 year. And in August at Suwon District Court, a gynecologist who was suspected of performing an abortion and the gynecology clinic manager were given a 1 year sentence suspended for 2 years and a 2 year, 6 month jail sentence respectively.
ģ“ė ź·øėģ ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ģ ėķ źø°ģ ź±“ģ ģģ²“ź° ģ ģź³ , źø°ģėėė¼ė ģ ź³ ģ ģģ ź·øģ¹ė ź²½ģ°ź° ėė¶ė¶ģ“ģė ź²ź³¼ ė¹źµķ“ ģ“ė”ģ ģ“ė¼ė ķź°ė¤. (source, right)
Even though the number of cases of doctors that have received sentences for performing abortions is small, and most have received suspended sentences, compared with those the above cases are quite exceptional.
ģ¬ķ“ 2ģ ķė”ė¼ģ“ķģģ¬ķź° ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ģģ ģ ķ ģė£źø°ź“ 3ź³³ģ ź³ ė°ķģ ėģė ģ¬ė¬“ģ„ģ“ źµ¬ģ źø°ģė ķ ź³³ģ ģ ģøķź³ ź°ź° ė²źø 200ė§ģģ ģ½ģźø°ģ, ė¬“ķģ ģ²ė¦¬ė„¼ ė°ģģ ėæģ“ė¤.
In February, a pro-life doctor’s association filed suits against 3 clinics where abortions were being performed, but in all but one the managers simply to had to pay fines of 2 million won each in out of court settlements.
ė ķ ģ§ė 5ģģė ė¶ģ°ģ§ė°©ė²ģģģ ģģ 7ģ£¼ģ ģ¬ģ±ģź² ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ģ ģģ ķ ķģė” źø°ģė ģģ¬ģ ėķ“ģė ģ ź³ ģ ģķź²°ģ ė“ė øė¤. ė¹ģ ģ¬ķź“ģ āėķģ ėķ ģ²ė²ź³¼ ź“ė Øķ“ ź³µź¶ė „ģ ģ²ė²ģģ§ź° ģėģ ģ¼ė” ėÆøģ½ķėāģ¬ģ¤ģ ė¹ģ¶° āģģ¬ģ ėķ ģ²ė²ģ ķķģ±ģ ģ“źøėė¤”ź³ ģ ź³ ģ ģģ ģ“ģ ė„¼ ė°ķė¤.
In May, at Busan District Court, a doctor who was suspected of performing an abortion on a woman who was 7 weeks pregnant received a suspended sentence. In that case, the judge said in his or her judgment that “the government’s will for punishing abortion-related crimes is relatively weak”, and that the reason for the suspended sentence in that case was that “the [prescribed] punishment ran counter to notions of social equity”.
ģģ¬ģź² ģ§ģķģ ģ ź³ ķ ģøģ°ģ§ė°©ė²ģģ ź¹ģ ėƼ ģ¬ķź“ģ“ āķģģ ģėŖ ģ ģ¬ėģ ģėŖ ź³¼ ė§ģ°¬ź°ģ§ė” ķė²ģ“ ė³“ķøķź³ ģ ķė ė§¤ģ° ģ¤ģķ ė²ģµāģ“ė¼ė©° āķė²ģ ė¹ģ¶ģ ķ¼ź³ ģøģ ė²ķģ ź·ø ģ£ģ§ģ“ ź°ė³ė¤ź³ ė³¼ ģ ģāė¤ź³ ģ ź³ ģ“ģ ė„¼ ė°ķ ź²ź³¼ ėģ”°ģ ģ“ė¤.
In complete contrast, Kim Jeong-min, the judge who gave the jail sentence to the manager in Ulsan, said the reason was that “a fetus’s life is exactly the same a person’s life, and deserves the full benefit and protection of the law”, and hence “the defendant’s crime could not be punished lightly”.
(Source: ģ°©ģ ģ ė ģģ¤)
āģ§ģķ ģ ź³ , ģ¤ģ ģģ ģģ¶ģķ¬ ź²ā “With Sentences, the Number of Abortions Will Go Down”
ķ¹ķ 9ģ ģøģ°ģ§ė°©ė²ģģ ķź²°ģ ģģ 10ģ£¼ģ āģ“źø°ėķāģ ā10ėģ¬ģ±ģ ėķāģ ėķ“ ģ§ģķģ ģ ź³ ķ ź²ģ“ģ“ģ ķź²°ģ“ ėģ§ ķģ„ģ“ ģ¬ģģ¹ ģė¤. āģķģ ģ¼ė” ģģ ģ“ ģģ ķā 12ģ£¼ ėÆøė§ģ ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ģ ģ“ėÆø ė§ģ źµź°ģģ ķ©ė²ķėģ“ ģģ¼ė©°, 10ė ģģ ģ ź²½ģ°ģė ķģ¤ģ ģ¼ė” ģģ”ģ ģ“ė ¤ģģ“ ģģ“ ģ¬ģ¤ģ ģģ ģ¤ģ ķģ©ģ¬ģ ė” ģ©ģøėģ“ ģźø° ėė¬øģ“ė¤.
In particular, the September case in Ulsan has generated a lot of controversy because the doctor’s sentence was for an abortion performed on a teenage girl who was 10 weeks pregnant. After all, not only is abortion in the first trimester completely safe and legal in many countries, but the general consensus is that such young girls have special difficulties in raising a child.
ģ“ ķź²°ģ ėķ“ <ģģ ā¤ģ¶ģ° ź²°ģ ź¶ģ ģķ ė¤ķøģķ¬>ė 29ģ¼ āģ¬ģ±ģ ź²°ģ ź¶ģ ģģ²ģ ģ¼ė” ė¶ģ ķėā ķź²°ģ“ė¼ė©° ź·ķģ±ėŖ ģ ė“ź³ , ķģģ¬ģ ģ ź·¹ ėģķ ź²ģ ģ²ėŖ ķź³ ėģ°ė¤. ģģ ā¤ģ¶ģ° ź²°ģ ź¶ģ ģķ ė¤ķøģķ¬ė ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ģ ė²ģ£ķķė ģģ§ģģ ėģķźø° ģķ“ ź²°ģ±ė ėØģ²“ė”ģ, ģ¬ģ±Ā·ė øėĀ·ģ§ė³“ ėØģ²“ė¤ź³¼ ģ§ė³“ģ ė¹, ėƼģ£¼ė øėė¹ģ“ ķØź» ģ°øģ¬ķź³ ģė¤.
< ģģ ā¤ģ¶ģ° ź²°ģ ź¶ģ ģķ ė¤ķøģķ¬>ė ģė°ė„ø āģ§ģķ ģ ź³ ź° ģ ė”ź° ė¼ ģ¬ķ“ 2~3ģģ²ė¼ ėķ ģģ ģ“ ģģ¶ė¼ ėķ ģģ ė¹ź° ģ¹ģź³ , ėķė„¼ ķģė” ķė ģ¬ģ±ė¤ģ“ ģ¬ź°ķ ģ“ė ¤ģģ ģ²ķź² ė ź²āģ“ė¼ź³ ģ¬ź°ķ ģ°ė ¤ė„¼ ķķė¤.
On the 29th of September, the NPBDR denounced that judgment as “fundamentally denying women’s rights” and that the group would actively appeal it. The NPBDR is an organization that was established to fight against the criminalization of abortion in conjunction with women’s groups, worker’s groups, progressive groups and the New Progressive and Democratic Labor Party. In addition, the NPBDR expressed serious worry about the “continuing cases of sentencing for abortions, which like those cases in February and March set precedents, and were accompanied by decreases in the numbers of abortions and a sudden rise in their expenses, which became a serious concern for women seeking abortions.”
(Source)
ģ¤ģ ė” ģ¬ķ“ 2ģ ķė”ė¼ģ“ķ ģģ¬ķģ ģ°ė¶ģøź³¼ ź³ ė° ķ, ģ°ė¶ģøź³¼ģ ģģ ģ¤ģ ģģ źø°ķ¼ė” ģøķ“ ź³ ķµģ ķøģķė ģė“ģ ķź° ģ¬ģ±ėØģ²“ģ ė¹ė°ģ³¤ė¤. ģģ ė¹ģ©ģ“ ģ¹ģģź³ , ė¹ģ¼ ģģ ė¹ģ ģ²ė²ģ ėķ ėė ¤ģ ėė¬øģ āģģ ėķāė„¼ ģģė³“ė ģ¬ģ±ė¤ź¹ģ§ ėķė¬ģė¤.
After a pro-life doctor’s group filed suit against gynecologists in February, the reality was that they started avoiding providing abortion services, leading to a torrent of pleads for help from women to women’s groups’ hotlines. Because of the sudden increase in their expenses, and the fear of being punished, many women are now considering getting abortions overseas.
āģģ ģ¤ģ ķģ©ā ė² ź°ģ ģģ§ģģ ģķ Such Judgments Work Against Abortion Law Reform
< ģģ ā¤ģ¶ģ° ź²°ģ ź¶ģ ģķ ė¤ķøģķ¬>ė ķ¹ķ āģ¬ģ±ģ“ėģ“ ģ¬ģ±ģ ģģ²ģ ģķ ėķė„¼ ķģ©ķė¼ė ėŖ©ģė¦¬ė„¼ ėģ“ź³ ģź³ , ķėė¼ė¹ ķģ¼ķ ģģ, ģ°ė¶ģøź³¼ģģ¬ķ, ė²ė¬“ė¶ ķģ¬ė²ź°ģ ķ¹ė³ģ¬ģģģķ ė±ė ģ ķģ ģ“ėė§ ėķė„¼ ķģ©ķė ė°©ķ„ģ ė² ź°ģ ģ ģ£¼ģ„āķź³ ģė ģķ©ģģ ģ“ė° ķź²°ģ“ ėģØ ź²ģ ėķ“ ź¹ģ ģ ź°ģ ėķėė¤.
The NPBDR, deeply saddened by the above cases, says “women’s movements and women in general are raising their voices high in their demands for legalizing abortion, and have the support of National Assemblyman Hong Il-pyeo of the ruling Grand National Party, gynecologists’ groups, and the Special Committee for the Reform of Criminal Law under the Ministry of Justice, and so on, that, although they only have limited political power, are also insisting on the legalization of abortion.”
āėķź° ė¶ė²ķė ėė¼ė¤ģ“ ķ©ė²ķė ėė¼ė¤ė³“ė¤ ėķģØģ“ ģ¤ķė ¤ ė ėāģ ź²ģģė ėė¬ėėÆ, āģ²ė²ģ“ ź²°ģ½ ėķė„¼ ģ¤ģ¼ ģ ģė¤āė ģ¬ģ¤ģ ėķ“ ģ“ėÆø źµģ ģ¬ķėæė§ ģėė¼ ģ°ė¦¬ėė¼ģģė ź³µź°ėź° ķģ°ėź³ ģė ģģ ģģ ģėģ°©ģ¤ģ ģø ķź²°ģ“ė¼ė ź²ģ“ė¤. ķģ¬ źµģ ģ¬ķģģė ģ ģ ģ¬ģ±ģ°Øė³ģ² ķķģ½(CEDAW)ģ ź·¼ź±°ķ“ ģøź³µģģ ģ¤ģ ķ ģ¬ģ±ģ ģ²ė²ķė āėķģ£ā ķģ§ė„¼ ź°źµģ ź¶ź³ ķź³ ģė¤.
Also, “compared to countries where abortion is legal, in fact abortion rates are higher in countries that have criminalized it,” and this means that “criminalizing abortions can never bring abortion rates down,” a fact that at this point in time not just international society, but Koreans also agree on, and so find the above judgments an anachronism. Presently, on the basis of the Convention on the U.N. Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), international society is recommending each country to abolish laws defining abortion as a crime and not punishing women who have abortions. (source, right)
< ģģ ā¤ģ¶ģ° ź²°ģ ź¶ģ ģķ ė¤ķøģķ¬>ė āģ¶ģ°ģ ģ¬ģ±ģ ģ¶ ģ ģ²“ģ ģ§ėķ ģķ„āģ ėÆøģ¹ź³ āģ¶ģ°ģ ė¤ė°ė„“ė ģ± ģģ ź°ė¹ķ ė¹ģ¬ģė ģ¬ģ±āģ“ė¼ė ģ ģ ķźø°ģķ¤ė©° āģģ ģ ģ¶ģ ėķ“ ģ ģ¤ķź² ź³ ėƼķź³ ėķė„¼ ź²°ģ ķ ģ¬ģ±ģ ė²ģ£ģ ģ·Øźøķ“ģė ģ ėė¤āź³ ėŖ» ė°ģė¤. ėķ ģģ¼ė” ģģ ķģģ¬ģ ėķ źµ¬ģ²“ģ ėģģ ģ¤ė¹ ģ¤ģ ģė¤ź³ ė§ė¶ģė¤.
Finally, the NPBDR wants to remind everyone that “giving birth is the single most influential thing in a woman’s whole life,” and is accompanied by a great deal of anxiety about how and if she will be able to cope with her new role as a mother. The group firmly insisted that “accordingly women who have agonized over this and come to the final decision to have an abortion should not be treated like criminals,” and added that they were making strenuous efforts to prepare to fight for their appeal against the Suwon judgment (end).
And on that note, apologies for not finding any information about the woman fined for simply planning an abortion, as mentioned in the earlier post, and I’ll keep looking. But in the meantime, I was very happy to read about the palpable resistance to Lee Myung-bak’s anti-abortion drive that is already emerging!
How about you?
The illustration “Worried Moments for Korean Couple” seems to be from the opening of the anime ćććŖć ēµ¶ęå ē (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei). The girl on the left is åøøę ć¾ćØć (Tsunetsuki Matoi) and the protagonist, ē³øč² ę (Itoshiki Nozomu) is on the right.
1:07-1:15
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About the 1:10 mark, looks like. Wonder how a Japanese anime OP image worked its way into an abortion discussion?
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There was nothing special about it sorry: I just found the image of a concerned-looking young couple on my hard drive, and thought it looked apt!
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Thanks very much: I’ll add those details as soon as I finish typing this!
Edit: Hmmm…in hindsight, just a link to your comment would be easiest!^^
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I can’t understand why the 2MB administration wouldn’t simply want to keep this out of the coursts and in the closet. It’s not going to win them any votes that they wouldn’t already be getting.
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I wonder why conservatives the world over (especially men) seem so intent on telling women what they can or can’t do with their lives or bodies? They always seem very eager to limit what women can do – drive, walk outside, get pregnant, work, the list goes on and on.
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Hard to believe that the government will go to that extend to stop abortion. It seems like that government is treating those women as an object or maybe they are only judging a women worth base on her ability to give birth. I do agree that each fetus is a live; however, I believe that each woman have their right to choose to have the baby or not. It seems like the government is trying to butt in family and personal business. The worst of all is that they are suspending the doctor’s license. Wow, I mean I how much money those doctor had put in their education. Right now, they make it seem like that doctors are devil for helping those women. For sure, I feel sorry for those doctor because they just helping their patient especially the one who helped the young girl to do her abortion. She is 16, being a teenage mom will be hard for work. Plus the worst part is that if the girl can’t get her life straight the baby will be the victim.
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Anybody know if they’re cracking down on the morning-after pill as well? Last time I checked you could get it with an (easily obtained) prescription.
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Good question, and I don’t know sorry, I haven’t heard it mentioned anywhere. I don’t think so then, but I’ll still keep an eye out for any news.
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Have you come across any information on problems foreign women have encountered trying procure abortions here? Sounds like it could be complicated.
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I’ll keep an eye out, but I haven’t noticed anything sorry.
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It was glad to see a posting about abortion in korea written in English. I’m obgy doctor in Seoul, and I’m about to write a book about the abortion right. While I search the data, I encountered with your article.
The answer for the question you mentioned above is that : the manager of the clinic in Suwon got a suspended sentence because she did the procedure by herself without any licence. It could be hard to believe, but in Korea, simple procedures such as eyelid reshaping or liposusction, manual aspiration(simple form of aboriton) are done by nurses or unqualified person occasionally. but of course it’s illegal. Anyway, the point in that case is illegal medical procedure by people who are not doctor.
There was one case with women who had abortion actually got punished. In most cases, doctors are punished because of medical law and abortion law in criminal law. It manipulate doctors into hesitating to provide the abortion, and the cost of abotion procedure has soared. It’s awkward…
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Thanks very much for the information, and I look forward to reading your book when it comes out!
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