A Seoul court has delivered a groundbreaking verdict, convicting a woman and two medical professionals of murder following a controversial late-term abortion procedure. The case centers on a pregnancy termination at 36 weeks that resulted in the death of a newborn placed in a medical freezer.
The defendant, identified only as Ms. Kwon, received a three-year suspended sentence with 200 hours of mandatory community service. The attending surgeon was sentenced to four years imprisonment while the hospital director received a six-year term. Both medical professionals were immediately taken into custody following Wednesday’s verdict.
This legal proceeding has exposed South Korea’s ongoing regulatory vacuum regarding abortion procedures. Despite the Constitutional Court striking down the nation’s abortion ban in 2019, lawmakers have failed to establish clear legislative guidelines. This has created a legal gray area where abortions technically remain accessible but without official gestational limits or procedural regulations.
The court heard disturbing testimony that after delivering the viable infant via Caesarean section, medical staff placed the newborn in a freezer where it died. Prosecutors revealed the hospital subsequently falsified medical records to indicate a stillbirth. Evidence presented showed the medical facility had allegedly received approximately 1.4 billion won while performing abortions on over 500 patients, many recruited through brokers.
During proceedings, Kwon testified she became aware of her pregnancy at seven months and sought termination due to financial instability and concerns about potential fetal abnormalities from alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy. However, the court determined she had been informed of the baby’s healthy condition through ultrasound and heartbeat monitoring, and understood the procedure would result in a live birth.
In sentencing remarks, the judge acknowledged the societal context, noting that while the crime warranted severe punishment, leniency was appropriate given the absence of support systems for women in such circumstances. The ruling highlights the urgent need for legislative action to address South Korea’s abortion regulatory framework, which remains in limbo five years after the constitutional court mandate for reform.