|
KMID : 1172020220230020105
|
|
Journal of Korean Bioethics Association
2022 Volume.23 No. 2 p.105 ~ p.120
|
|
|
A Personalist Bioethical Study on the Legislation of physician-Assisted Suicide in Korea
|
|
Park Eun-Ho
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
On June 15, 2022, a bill was proposed to legalize physician-assisted suicide for the first time in Korea. And since this bill was introduced, various social discussions have been actively going on. Important issues related to the bill proposal include the issue of confirming the public's opinion on the legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, the problem of the term 'assisted death with dignity', the recognition of the 'right to die', and the problem of unacceptable suffering. Regarding public opinion, recent research studies just shows that more people than before consider death as a matter of choice, rather than showing the public's active will for the legalization of death. But the term ‘assisted death with dignity’ is also causing confusion, and it seems to be difficult for the ‘right to die’ to receive public recognition from a society or state. In addition, there is a risk that the “unacceptable pain,” which the bill sets out as a condition for request for physician-assisted suicide, will be interpreted as existential pain or psychological pain, expanding the scope of those subject to physician-assisted suicide. Legislation of physician-assisted suicide will not only overlook the duty to protect the common good of life, but will also lead to various negative consequences. The requests for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide should not be interpreted as actually requesting death, but as an opportunity for patients overwhelmed by pain to improve the quality of care through dialogue with medical staff and recover their autonomous subjectivity at the end of their lives.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
personalist bioethics, end of life, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, death with dignity, right to die
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|