Korea's Roe v. Wade

"Abortions were legalized in South Korea in 1973 under the Mother and Child Health Law, which a military regime promulgated without collecting public opinion," we learn in this article — Government's abortion limitation has little meaning, Church officials say.

The proposed change would "shorten the period for legal abortion of a pregnancy from 28 weeks to 24 weeks." ("The Korean bishops," in contrast, "have consistently upheld Church teaching on the inviolable dignity of human life from conception by opposing abortion in any circumstances.")

Currently, abortion is allowed only "in case of pregnancy by rape or incest, certain kinds of genetic mental or physical damage, or if the mother's health is in danger." But, as we know, the phrase "mother's health" is a catch-all phrase vague enough to include the inconvenience of of giving birth to an inconvenient baby.

We also are reminded that a country with one-sixth the population and about one-and-a-half times the number of abortions per annum: "The local Church says 1.5 million abortions are performed annually in South Korea, which has a population of 48.5 million people."