Activists fight abortion crackdown

A group of activists in South Korea are fighting for women's abortion rights after a government...

A group of activists in South Korea are fighting for women's abortion rights after a government crackdown on the procedure.

The group of about 40 protesters was made-up of mainly women representing 24 different organisations.

They argued that women should be able to decide about abortion for themselves and issued a joint statement to mark International Women's Day on March 8.

They then gathered in Seoul park shouting: "Stop a crackdown on abortion that violates women's rights."

The move came after the health ministry announced a plan to enforce its laws against abortion. Although it is officially illegal in the country, abortion has been widely tolerated due to the need to lower the birth rate. The government said it would impose criminal penalties for illegal abortions.

In recent years, the government's policy has shifted as the need to boost the birth rate has become apparent due to the country's ageing population.

Legally, pregnancies can only be terminated if there is foetal malformation, in the case of rape or a risk to the mother's health.

The Government estimated that 350,000 terminations were carried out in 2005.

A group of obstetricians have also supported the government's decision by reporting colleagues who perform the procedure.

"Abortion for social and economic reasons must be tolerated," the activists said in the statement.

They accused the government of using women's bodies "as mere tools to control population" and said their interests should not be sacrificed to boost the birth figures.

"Decisions on pregnancy, abortion and childbirth must be left to women," the statement said, describing the crackdown as violating women's rights.

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