South Korea is moving forward with a significant review to expand the legal framework surrounding life-sustaining treatments. The government is actively considering shifting the current criteria for withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment—which is strictly limited to the "dying phase" (imjong-gi)—to the broader "terminal stage" (mal-gi). This potential shift aims to better respect patient autonomy and align the system closer to practical medical realities, with a formal recommendation set to be finalized by the end of this year. 

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on September 9, 2026, the special advisory committee on the improvement of the life-sustaining treatment decision system held its very first official meeting. 

The life-sustaining treatment decision system, initially enacted in 2018, allows patients in their final moments to forgo or halt meaningless medical procedures—such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, and hemodialysis—that merely prolong the dying process without offering curative benefits. The system was designed to help individuals conclude their lives with dignity. 

However, as the system has matured over the years, accumulating over 3 million registrations for advance statements on life-sustaining treatments, medical professionals, patient advocates, and legal experts have pointed out structural limitations. In response, the newly launched special advisory committee—consisting of 14 experts from medical, patient advocacy, legal, religious, and media sectors under the leadership of Professor Kim Jang-han of Ulsan University College of Medicine—was established to address these bottlenecks. 

During its regular sessions and expert presentations, the committee plans to tackle core contentious issues. Chief among them is moving the threshold for withholding or stopping life-sustaining treatments from the imminent "dying phase" to the earlier "terminal stage". Critics and medical workers have long argued that restricting decisions to the final hours or days limits true patient autonomy, often forcing patients to endure aggressive, futile treatments when recovery is already medically impossible. Expanding the scope to the terminal stage would allow patients to make proactive choices earlier in their disease progression. 

Additionally, the committee is reviewing supplementary legal measures to handle life-sustaining treatment decisions for patients without next-of-kin (unrelated individuals), closing another critical blind spot in current legislation.

The committee plans to synthesize public opinions previously gathered by the Prime Minister's Medical Innovation Committee to draft a comprehensive institutional improvement recommendation by the end of the year.

"We will not only rely on expert discussions but also thoroughly listen to diverse opinions from citizens," said Committee Chairman Kim Jang-han. "Based on social consensus, we will formulate a trustworthy system improvement plan that benefits all citizens."

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