Korean has not legalized euthanasia or assisted suicide

By Alex Schadenberg
International Chair - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Korean Times reported that the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee voted in favor of a "death with dignity" bill.

In the western world "death with dignity" is a euphemism for euthanasia or assisted suicide.

Korea has not legalized euthanasia or assisted suicide but rather Korea is passing a law outlining the rules for withholding or withdrawing of medical treatment. The Korean Times reported:

The bill addresses the needs of dying patients. Life-sustaining treatment, such as CPR, artificial respiration and cancer-fighting drugs, will be withheld from such patients. 

Such treatments could be stopped if a patient expresses the clear intention of not being willing to receive them while still being sentient. The patients can write orders for their physicians about life-sustaining treatments (POLST) or advanced directives (AD). 

If the patients become unconscious, doctors can check their POLST and stop treatment. Or at least two members of a family can testify that a patient prefers death with dignity and at least two doctors should confirm it. 

When it is impossible to figure out what the patient thinks about life-sustaining treatment, it requires parental consent in the case of minors, and consent from all family members when adults are the patients. 

If a patient is without family, the bill said the hospital's bioethics committee could make the decision.

The article refers to the withholding or withdrawing of medical treatment as passive euthanasia. This is an unfortunate use of a false and confusing term.

The withholding and withdrawing of medical treatment has been debated in Korea for many years.

To withhold or withdraw medical treatment from a person who is dying is not euthanasia or assisted suicide. When treatment is withheld or withdrawn, the patient may or may not die, but if the patient dies they die of their medical condition, which is a natural death. 

Important: The withholding or withdrawing of medical treatment must be differentiated from the withholding and withdrawing of basic care from a person who is incompetent and not otherwise dying. To intentionally deny basic care to a person who is not otherwise dying (such as food and water) is ethically the same as euthanasia. The person dies from intentional dehydration rather than dying from their medical condition.

South Korea did not legalize euthanasia.

By Alex Schadenberg
International Chair, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Yesterday, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) wrote a letter to the AFP news service stating that their report: S Korea legalizes euthanasia for terminally ill was wrong.

This is the statement that we sent to the AFP news service:

The following article from your news service is not clear, it says that South Korea will legalize euthanasia and then the article is about removing life support from terminally ill people. The article states: "They agreed that doctors could stop prolonged life-sustaining treatment, based only on prior written or oral statements from patients." 

It appears that South Korea has approved the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment which is not euthanasia. Euthanasia is the direct and intentional killing of a person for reasons of mercy. This has not been legalized in South Korea. 

The article doesn't refer to the issue of fluids and food, and therefore until I see the actual guidelines I must say that euthanasia has not being legalized in South Korea, but rather discontinuing life-sustaining treatment has been approved. 

You need to be more careful with your reporting because these ethical issues effect many people and if you incorrectly report on an issue you create confusion. 

Alex Schadenberg
International Chair, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Today I received the South Korean – End-of-life guidelines from a Korean physician. It is clear that S Korea did not legalize euthanasia. The guidelines concern the rules that must be followed before a physician can withdraw or withhold medical treatment.
The guidelines state:

• They are for terminally ill patients, but do not apply to PVS patients, unless the PVS patient is terminally ill.
• They are for extraordinary treatments only (eg. Respirators, CPR). Ordinary treatments such as fluids and food should be maintained.
• Apply to adult patients, based on prior written statements. 
• The statement should be prepared after counseling with doctor(s) with a 2 week mandatory deliberation period.
• Oral statements of patients are accepted, when it can be proven.
• Can be withdrawn anytime.
• A national review committee on end-of-life care will be established.
• Hospital ethics committees on end-of-life care will be established.

The guidelines did not approve:

• Surrogate decision making is not allowed for adult patients, but partially allowed for minors and people with mental disabilities.

It is clear that euthanasia has not been legalized in S Korea. The guidelines do not approve of euthanasia by dehydration either.

It is also clear that the South Korea guidelines are more cautious than most national end-of-life guidelines in the western world. While I share the concern about how "terminally ill" may be defined, these guidelines do not appear to be designed to open the floodgate.

It appears that the AFP news service is intentionally confusing the public or it does not understand what euthanasia is. AFP also wrongly stated that the German court recently approved euthanasia. AFP needs to publish a retraction of their incorrect news article.

Link to the article - S.Korean legalises euthanasia for terminally ill: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gl3mqDEVPwTzmEq1B_nKsBLg8TGA

South Korea did not legalize euthanasia.

This is the letter that I sent to the AFP news service who incorrectly reported that South Korea legalised euthanasia.

The following article from your news service is not clear, it says that South Korea will legalize euthanasia and then the article is about removing life support from terminally ill people. The article states: "They agreed that doctors could stop prolonged life-sustaining treatment, based only on prior written or oral statements from patients."

It appears that South Korea has approved the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment which is not euthanasia. Euthanasia is the direct and intentional killing of a person for reasons of mercy. This has not been legalized in South Korea

The article doesn't refer to the issue of fluids and food, and therefore until I see the actual guidelines I must say that euthanasia has not being legalized in South Korea, but rather discontinuing life-sustaining treatment has been approved.

You need to be more careful with your reporting because these ethical issues effect many people and if you incorrectly report on an issue you create confusion.

Alex Schadenberg
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Link to the article - S.Korean legalises euthanasia for terminally ill:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gl3mqDEVPwTzmEq1B_nKsBLg8TGA

South Korea takes measures to tackle suicide "disgrace"

South Korea has been inflicted by one of the highest suicide rates in the world, a suicide rate that is even higher than in Japan.

The government has decided to activate measures in 10 different government departments to lower their suicide rate. The complete plan will be released next week.

Actions will include:
- building screen doors on platform stops at train stations.
- tighter regulations on the sale of pesticides and other poisons.
- welfare payments will be improved.
- internet sites that encourage suicide will be blocked.

There needs to be an international policy of blocking websites that promote suicide. Japan, Britain, Australia, South Korea, Germany and more are now recognizing that websites that promote and counsel suicide are encouraging people who are depressed or suicidal to go ahead and commit suicide.

The instructions on these websites are causing copy-cat acts of suicide as well as encouraging group suicide.

Dr. Philip Nitschke, Australia's Dr. Death, has operated a website that provides instructions and counsels suicide. He has even distributed short - how to - video's on U- Tube.

Society needs to recognize the importance of protecting vulnerable people.

Link to the articles:
http://www.abc.net.au:80/news/stories/2008/09/01/2352533.htm?section=world

http://afp.google.com:80/article/ALeqM5g_fznfPOpubTseliNtgNEvI4yjvA