{
  "id": 7680721,
  "title": "Seoul to consider introducing abortion pills: prime minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/seoul-to-consider-introducing-abortion-pills-prime-minister-7680721",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T02:07:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/20260916/seoul-to-consider-introducing-abortion-pills-prime-minister"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Seoul is considering allowing women to use abortion pills up to nine weeks pregnant, according to Prime Minister Han Seong-sook. The government will examine the possibility during a policy coordination meeting, as existing regulations remain unaltered since the Constitutional Court's 2019 overturning of the abortion ban. Prime Minister Han emphasized that safety is paramount and stressed the need to address the issue, as women are currently resorting to dangerous methods, thereby neglecting their lives and well-being. The introduction of abortion pills will happen gradually, initially for women up to nine weeks pregnant, with both prescription and dispensing occurring directly at hospitals for the first two years. If conditions permit, the system may transition to doctors prescribing and pharmacies dispensing the pills. Prime Minister Han reiterated that ensuring women receive safe medical treatment is of utmost importance over any other consideration.",
  "summary": "The government will consider allowing the use of abortion pills for women up to nine weeks pregnant, as related regulations remain unrevised following the Constitutional Court's 2019 striking down of the abortion ban, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Wednesday. While such an institutional vacuum remains unclosed, some women are resorting to \"dangerous methods\" and the problem should no longer…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Seoul to consider introducing abortion pills: prime minister",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/seoul-to-consider-introducing-abortion-pills-prime-minister",
        "published": "2026-09-16T01:24:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Seoul to consider introducing abortion pills: prime minister",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/seoul-to-consider-introducing-abortion-pills-prime-minister-7675814",
        "published": "2026-09-16T01:32:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}