Yangju City Implements "Advance Directive for Life-Sustaining Treatment" Year-Round

Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kang Suhyeon) is taking the lead in promoting a "well-dying" culture, which allows individuals to express their wishes regarding end-of-life care in advance, by operating the "Advance Directive for Life-Sustaining Treatment" system year-round.

Exterior view of Yangju Public Health Center. Provided by Yangju City

The "Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision System" allows individuals to refuse or discontinue life-sustaining treatments?such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, hemodialysis, and chemotherapy?that merely prolong the dying process. This system was established to help people conclude their lives with dignity.

Any adult aged 19 or older can record their wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment through an "Advance Directive for Life-Sustaining Treatment."

Yangju Public Health Center, designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a registration agency for advance directives, has supported the registration of 3,148 individuals from its designation on February 25, 2022, through May of this year.

For more detailed information, inquiries can be made to the Clinical Support Team at Yangju Public Health Center.

An official from Yangju Public Health Center stated, "As a regional hub, we will faithfully fulfill our role in spreading a culture that respects human dignity and self-determination at the end of life, and we will strive to contribute to the advancement of the life-sustaining treatment decision system."