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While for many abortion might be a simple moral question and for others a legal one, to ignore the particular temporal and spatial conditions in which it arises would be to neglect an important context.
Abortion has long been a taboo subject in this most Confucian of cultures, yet it has most definitely existed and there has been a silent conversation taking place between the government, the medical professionals, and the people of the country.
Official figures that came out of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs reported that 30 out of every 1,000 Korean women between the ages of 15 and 44 had an abortion in 2005, placing it in the top 3 of abortions per capita in the world behind Russia and Vietnam.
A surprising figure for a law-abiding population that has conservative views towards sex, no? Yet the abortion question has always been there.
During the population surges of the 60s and 70s, the government actively encouraged its citizens to have illegal abortions in order that they might stave off the dangers of overpopulation.
Fast forward a few decades and when ex-President Lee Myoung-bak recriminalized abortion by choosing to heavily punish obstetricians who carried out the treatment as well as the female patients, it was likely with an eye on the low fertility rate which, even in 2010, saw it second from bottom of the OECD charts.
And all this has to also account for the traditional prevalence of selective-sex abortions. In 1987, the Roh Tae-woo government made it illegal for doctors to reveal the sex of an unborn child because they feared a gender disparity in society which at the time greatly favoured boys. This was eventually overturned in 2008 on the grounds of violating parents' rights to know and doctors' freedom to practice.
Ultimately, the abortion question can be approached from a variety of different perspectives and it is unlikely that there will ever be a unanimous agreement reached because of the individual, societal, economic, demographic, health, moral, and religious issues that it sits atop.
That in itself raises a few questions: What would a nation-wide Korean referendum say on the subject of abortion? Is being "pro-life" still a legitimate position to have in a modern society?
For what it's worth, having been born and raised in Western Europe, I believe that providing agency to the individuals and allowing them the freedom to make and control their own lives – without government interference – is an important thing and brings positive net results. For me, the question of abortion comes down to a position of self-regulation.
So, in that sense, South Korea might well indeed be modernizing if the latest decision is anything to go by. But the context is still important and that revolves around regulations and sex.
The "sex culture" here, as embarrassing as it might be to discuss, is certainly opening up. Internet discussions, television programs, media outlets, and even shops are all embracing a more liberal attitude.
Yet government regulations are making it harder and harder for people to hop on the good foot and do the bad thing – as the cool kids probably used to say in the 1960s.
The first is related to tents down on the Han River. Thousands flock to the grassy areas there on spring and summer weekends where they order chicken, play on their smartphones, and sometimes erect… tents.
While many use their tents to protect themselves and their children from the sun and the mosquitoes, others have used them for more carnal pleasures. The government has designated these "obscene tents".
The current law states that tents must have two sides open to the public. Now, they are only to be used in specific locations and will have to be dismantled by 7pm every evening. This is to prevent any acts of skinship or what people call "embarrassing noises".
So if they can't get their tent up, you might suggest these young amorous fine dust-crossed lovers head to a bar in the fancy part of town and embrace the night and all its secrets.
But the government has now decided that even this will not stand. Or rather, the people will not stand. Nor will they dance.
The Gangnam District Office has begun enforcing regulations to prevent people from dancing in non-designated establishments. Any place registered as a "general restaurant" rather than an "entertainment bar" may not have people standing up or dancing.
Last weekend, customers revealed that police officers were coming into venues, turning off the music, switching on the lights, and stopping people from dancing. Security forces would also tell people to sit down if they demonstrated any sign of getting into the groove.
While there is certainly a question of tax to be taken into account, these current measures seem at first glance to be a reactionary attempt to counter the Burning Sun scandal that rocked the nation and the entertainment industry.
This article is not suggesting that people be allowed to disrupt others in public spaces nor should businesses deceive officials in registering their businesses. It is intended to paint a broader picture of the social conditions and the sexual environment in which laws are being made.
There is a discussion that needs to be had in South Korea regarding the regulation of sex and everything that comes with it. A government cannot just make a rule on abortion and then work counter to that principle with its other policies.
Moreover, it has to account for the broader attitudes towards sex which sees only 2.5% of the female population on the contraceptive pill, sex education in schools lacking in many ways, and only two condom adverts to have reached mainstream television stations in the 13 years that it has been legally permissible for them to be there.
While North Korea, the economy, and the air that we breathe rightly dominate the headlines, it would be interesting to hear a stated position from the country regarding sexual identity and practices.
It certainly won't be easy and it will be no-doubt be uncomfortable. But with an increasing division between the genders, political divide exacerbated by the sexes, and social problems arising in their multitudes, it might be time for the talk to be had.
I will of course only listen. But will do so in a tent with two sides up and obeying all the rules as best I can.
David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University.
