Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Archdiocese of Seoul
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – Changing the term “abortion” to “termination of pregnancy”; “legalizing the termination of pregnancy”; “introducing the abortion pill”: these are some of the guidelines included in a 123-point government program adopted by new President Lee Jae-myung during the recent cabinet meeting. The government aims to “guarantee women's health safety and rights” “by improving laws and systems related to abortion.” The government's approach seeks to fill a legislative gap following the 2019 ruling by the Constitutional Court, which decriminalized abortion by declaring the regulations that penalized women and doctors “unconstitutional.” Now, for the first time since then, the legalization of abortion has entered the government's official agenda.
Bishop Moon Chang-woo, chairman of the Committee for Family and Life of the Korean Bishops' Conference, has reiterated the Church's opposition to abortion and advocated for "policies that protect both women and fetuses, and that guarantee the right of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to conscientious objection." In response, the Catholic Church has launched the "40 Days of Prayer for Life" initiative. Faithful gathered in squares, streets, and symbolic public places—such as the entrance to Myeongdong Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Seoul—hold signs in defense of life and pray silently continuously for forty days. Consecrated persons, priests, and lay people participate in this vigil, which will culminate on November 2. Professor Maria Kim Kyung-ah, a nursing professor at Incheon Catholic University and coordinator of the initiative, explained that Christians of various faiths, including non-Christians, participate in the prayer, with the intention of spreading the movement nationwide. "The government's agenda diminishes the precious value of pregnancy and childbirth, presenting birth as if it were a manufactured product," she denounced. For his part, Domenico Savio Jo Young-ho, a doctoral student at Incheon National University and active in the pro-life movement, noted that the silent prayer seeks to spark reflection on "the deep desire for everyone's life to be protected," and expressed the hope that young Koreans will join the initiative. Meanwhile, the "National Coalition for the Protection of Fetuses and Women," which brings together 70 civic organizations from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, has launched a signature campaign aimed at the National Assembly, seeking to block any bill favoring abortion or the abortion pill. The Pro-Life Committee of the Archdiocese of Seoul plans to disseminate this campaign in parishes and encourage the faithful to join in by signing. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 29/9/2025)
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