President Lee: "Leaving Abortion Pills Unregulated Is Wrong... They Should Be Made Available"

President Lee Presides Over Cabinet Meeting on July 14

President Lee Jae-myung stated on the 14th that, regarding the abortion medication "Mifegyne," "Even if there are challenges, we must ensure that people can be administered the drug appropriately."

At the Cabinet meeting held that day, President Lee remarked, "The debate over the scope of abortion rights is ongoing, which is why Mifegyne is still not permitted." He further pointed out, "Because women are resorting to purchasing abortion pills through overseas direct imports, there have been incidents. It is not right to leave the situation unattended."

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on July 14, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Mifegyne is a medication used for abortion in early pregnancy and is listed as an essential medicine by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the government has continued to prohibit the import of Mifegyne since the 2019 Constitutional Court’s ruling of unconstitutionality regarding the abortion ban, citing the absence of follow-up legislation. As a result, counterfeit drugs are being traded illegally within the country.

When President Lee criticized, "Is it not irresponsible for the government to leave matters like this unattended?" Minister Won Mikyung of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family responded, "A revision to the Mother and Child Health Act is necessary." President Lee reiterated, "Shouldn’t it suffice to simply allow the medication? If things get too complicated, the problems only worsen."

President Lee also commented, "I imagine there are countries where such medication is sold without requiring a prescription from a specialist," and added, "In that case, there are ways to make it available accordingly." He continued, "Leaving it up to the physician’s discretion could also be an option," and questioned, "Although that may be somewhat unstable, isn’t it better than leaving Mifegyne neglected, leading people to purchase and use it from overseas without any prescription or oversight?"

Additionally, President Lee instructed Prime Minister Han Sung-sook, "It would be preferable to devise a solution through a compromise. I don’t think this is an issue we can simply overlook," and called for consultations among relevant ministries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.