Korea has become a super-aged society since the late 2010s, which means more than 20 percent of its population is above 65. In a super-aged society, the right to willingly end one’s life gains greater meaning for a lot of the population. Many are demanding the legalization of doctor-assisted suicide or even euthanasia.
On June 15, a bill that would allow doctor-assisted suicide was introduced in the National Assembly. The following day, the Senior Union and My Last Donation Club, made up of senior citizens in their 70s, demanded the legalization of euthanasia.
According to a survey led by Professor Yoon Young-ho and his research team from the Department of Family Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, three out of four respondents were in favor of the legalization of euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide. Some 61.9 percent strongly agreed with those ideas, 14.4 percent agreed and 21.7 percent disagreed.