Originally published in World Community
South Korea’s Constitutional Court has upheld a 59-year-old ban on abortions.
The eight-judge panel needed six votes in favor of declaring the law unconstitutional in order to overturn the longtime ban.
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However, the court said Thursday that four judges voted to keep the ban and four voted to overturn it, meaning abortion will remain illegal in South Korea.
The court said in a statement that the four judges who voted to overturn the ban supported allowing first trimester abortions.
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South Korea banned abortion in 1953 with exceptions for rape, incest, or severe genetic disorders.
Activists say authorities turned a blind eye to abortions for decades until cracking down in recent years due to South Korea’s low birthrate.
