Dear AAPLOG Colleague: AAPLOG had a booth at KAMHC last week. Our Board member Dr. Mary Davenport gave this report. Since the abortion issue is huge on the international scene (as well as on the USA scene), our being informed re: Korean obgyns situation is very ueful. Here’s the info: Korean-American Missions Health Council (KAMHC) I attended a conference in Irvine , California , sponsored by a Korean evangelical Christian medical missions organization. I was there to promote AAPLOG (American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists) and our message that abortion is harmful to women. Another purpose was to support GYNOB, a group of 680 Korean obstetricians who stopped doing abortions. The conference was hosted by Bethel Korean Church , a giant, modern megachurch on a campus with several large buildings, palm trees, and fountains. The Korean medical missions conference was attended by several hundred Korean-Americans, Koreans, and others. Most were physicians and nurses with some dentists, as well as spouses. The sessions included preparing for medical missions, evangelism, HIV/AIDS, Oriental medicine and medical student workshops. There were booths and displays from medical missions groups, ministries supplying medicines, groups providing technologies for clean water, organizations specializing in evangelizing Hindus and Muslims through medical care, and large Christian Korean hospitals with satellites in places like Mongolia and Gambia . AAPLOG had a booth to publicize the harms of abortion as well as our new relationship with GYNOB. When I arrived in Irvine , I opened a box that GYNOB had Fedexed full of beautiful posters of Korean babies and brochures publicizing their five point program to virtually eliminate abortion in Korea and raise the birth rate. They had enclosed petitions to obtain signatures from the conference attendees in support of their program. A major spark for the Korean pro-life doctors is the dismal demographic situation. The Korean birth rate is the second lowest in the world, well below replacement at 1.2 births per woman, even lower then Japan ’s. This is causing alarm among Korea ’s rapidly aging population. Even Choi Seon-jong, the head of Planned Parenthood in Korea , believes in increasing the birth rate. http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/koreas_population_crisis/. Abortion has been illegal in Korea , but the courts in the past decided not to prosecute doctors or women undergoing abortions. In the 1950’s and 1960’s Koreans were very concerned about overpopulation and overcrowding. Most Koreans age fifty or older come from large families of four, five or more children. In reaction to large families, it used to be considered patriotic to have small families. Families with a third child used to have to pay fines. In the past these attitudes facilitated casual attitudes about abortion. But now families are paid $60 for having a third child, although this is considered a pittance by those who would like increased government subsidies for larger families. But many recognize that much larger subsidies have not reversed depopulation trends in other countries such as Singapore , Japan or Australia . As Koreans were accustomed to widespread abortion, obgyn’s made a large portion of their income from the illegal but tolerated practice. Reimbursements for births are small, and abortions are paid for in cash. However, relying on abortions for the majority of their income sickened members of the pro-life doctors organization, enough to influence them to stop. They are a mixed group that includes Catholic and Protestant Christians, as well as Buddhists and agnostics. The New York Times had a picture of a ceremony in which these Korean doctors asked for forgiveness. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/world/asia/06korea.html. Dr. Anna Choi, head of GYNOB, said that she washed her hands in contrition after each abortion she performed. Dr. Sang-duk Shim, who does not follow a particular religion, describes his process of “self-purification” after giving up doing twice as many abortions in his clinics than births. http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/terminating_koreas_abortion_culture/. These doctors recognized that abortion is a sign of sickness in the culture, and they are seeking to rectify it. They have a website in Korean and English describing their efforts. http://prolife-dr.org/. At our AAPLOG booth, we were delighted to help them in this endeavor. Mary L.Davenport, M.D.
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