Abortions have been illegal in the South except in certain cases - rape, incest or severe birth defects. More women are taking a quick trip to China, were abortion clinics are thriving thanks to China's strict rules on how many children a couple can have. Almost the polar opposite of South Korea's anti-abortion laws, forced abortions and sterilisations are not uncommon,
The legal situation in Korean regarding abortions means that even when the women aren't in the country, they are breaking Korean law. In an interview with the South Korean daily, Chosun IIbo, an agent who arranges "abortion trips" said "Abortions are legal in China and using aliases removes any records. Chinese doctors are more skilled in abortions, due to their ample experience." A package deal costs 200m South Korean Won (£116,000).
Seeing the amounts of money that can be made by the illicit trade, a number of South Korean doctors are jumping on the bandwagon along with their Chinese counterparts, often with little regard to the longterm health effects that their operations might have. "It is very dangerous to make long trips while pregnant or after undergoing an abortion. An abortion in facilities lacking proper sanitary conditions could result in infections or haemorrhage, leading to infertility or even death," Cha Hee-jae of the Association of Pro-life Physicians told Chosun Ilbo. Also, by travelling abroad, the women have little in the way of legal redress should anything go wrong with the operation.
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