Well-Dying Law

[Anchor Lead]

Since last month, Korea has been running a pilot project for what's known as the well-dying law, which allows terminally ill patients to opt for a natural death over continuing life-extending treatment. So far seven patients have chosen death with dignity. The government will revise related laws to expand the choice of options for patients.

[Pkg]

This is a hospice ward housing patients with terminal cancer. Some patients and caretakers have chosen the path of easing pain instead of continuing pointless anticancer treatments. In fact, a patient in their 50s in the last stages of cancer who was hospitalized at a university hospital conveyed the will to doctors last month to no longer continue life-sustaining treatment. The patient was then hit by an emergency situation but the medical staff did not perform CPR and the patient eventually died. In the past month, seven patients have chosen the legal act of death with dignity. They were terminally ill patients suffering from diseases such as end stage cancer and cerebral hemorrhage.

[Soundbite] Gwon Jun-uk(Health & Welfare Ministry) : "It takes 30 minutes to an hour for the doctor to brief the patient and receive his or her consent. This process involves legally binding documents."

The government will expand the scope of the death with dignity rule ahead of the implementation of the Well-Dying Law in February. Patients who are expected to go through the dying process will be able to fill out papers asking for a suspension in life prolonging treatment. A wider range of medical practices will also be sought to be subject to suspension according to the patient's will. When this new system takes root, more patients are expected to choose a natural process of death rather than simply sustaining their lives.