[News Terms] 'Joryeokjasal' Legal in Some Countries, Under Debate Domestically

'Assisted suicide' refers to the act of ending one's own life with the help of medical personnel who provide devices or drugs. It is distinguished from active euthanasia, where medical staff directly perform the act, by the fact that the individual takes the medication or injection themselves. It is mainly known to be chosen by people suffering from incurable diseases or severe pain.

In most countries, including South Korea, it is illegal. On the other hand, countries such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Austria, Colombia, Australia (except some states), and New Zealand have legalized assisted suicide. The French government is also considering legalizing active euthanasia.

In the United States, it is permitted in some states including California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, New Mexico, New Jersey, Vermont, Maine, Colorado, Montana, and Washington D.C. Switzerland is the only country in the world that provides assisted suicide services to foreigners. Because of this, Switzerland has earned the stigma of being the "center of suicide tourism," and Zurich held a referendum in May 2011 on whether to restrict assisted suicide, which was rejected.

Reflecting this trend, several non-profit organizations supporting euthanasia and assisted suicide, such as 'Dignitas,' 'Pegasos,' and 'Life Circle (Eternal Spirit),' are active in Switzerland. In Switzerland, the term 'assisted suicide' is not used; instead, terms like 'assisted voluntary death (AVD)' and 'assisted death' are used.

For Switzerland, a country chosen by many domestically, the patient must drink the prescribed assisted suicide (euthanasia) medication themselves or open a valve. It is illegal for a doctor to administer the drug or inject it. Also, gaining profit from this is not allowed.

Primarily, 'pentobarbital sodium (NaP)' is used. For those who cannot swallow and receive food through a gastric tube, they must self-administer the drug through the tube or use intravenous injection according to prior agreement. Even in this case, the patient must open the valve of the injection themselves. It is known that after taking the medication, the person falls asleep and enters a coma within 2 to 5 minutes and soon dies.

Debate over assisted death is also active in South Korea. Since the enactment of the Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment in 2018, the domestic end-of-life culture has changed significantly. Last year, Assemblyman Ahn Baek-gyu of the Democratic Party of Korea proposed an amendment to legalize assisted death in the Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment, which sparked serious debate about well-dying. Recently, as cases of people traveling to Switzerland for assisted death have been reported in the media, the controversy is spreading further.