South Korean Baby Left to Die After Late-Term Abortion Sparks National Outrage

03.07.2025

A tragic case in South Korea has shocked the nation after a doctor was charged with murder for allegedly allowing a baby, aborted at full term, to die after being born alive.

Authorities allege that the baby, at nine months gestation, was delivered alive during a labour-inducing abortion and then deliberately left without care, amounting to what prosecutors describe as “wilful neglect.” The doctor involved, identified as Dr. Shim, and the clinic’s director, Mr. Yoon, were arrested after a judge approved warrants following months of investigation and evidence gathering.

The Korean Medical Association has strongly condemned the incident, noting that a baby at 36 weeks could easily survive outside the womb, and that ending such a life is “tantamount to murder.”

This case comes as South Korea faces a legal vacuum on abortion. In 2019, the Constitutional Court struck down the country’s ban on abortion but did not implement new guidelines, leaving the nation without clear laws on gestational limits. As a result, while abortion is technically decriminalised, there is no legislation defining when, or if, limits should apply.

Repeated attempts to introduce laws establishing a cut-off point for abortion have failed amid political gridlock. Proposals have ranged from a 10-week limit to unrestricted access, but none have passed, leaving both mothers and unborn babies in legal uncertainty.

The horrific details of this case have renewed calls for South Korea to protect unborn babies, particularly in the late stages of pregnancy when they are fully capable of surviving outside the womb. If the charges against the doctor and clinic director result in conviction, it may mark a turning point in establishing overdue protections for the unborn in South Korea.