“Extraordinary Attorney Woo” love story sparks concerns over forced sterilization of women with disabilities

Amid the “Woo Young Woo craze”, there are concerns that the romance in the drama will lead to a copycat crime.

Yoon Jong Sul, president of the KPNPD (Korean Parents’ Network for People with Disabilities), expressed his opinion through a News1 article on August 8th on the development of a romantic relationship between Woo Young Woo, a female attorney with autism spectrum disorder, and Lee Jun Ho, a non-disabled man.

President Yoon explained, “There are many cases of parents forcing their disabled children to undergo sterilization procedures for fear that sexual violence may occur to their children.” 

He added, “Disabled women are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation or hierarchical sexual offenses. Therefore, they may be denied pregnancy and childbirth or be sterilized against their will.”

In addition, it was found that there are many cases of women with disabilities who decide to have an abortion regardless of their intention, when they become pregnant.

According to a survey on the disabled in 2020 released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 100% of women with disabilities under the age of 49 nationwide who chose artificial abortion decided to have the surgery on the recommendation of others, instead of their own doctors.

However, there are also arguments that the right to sexual self-determination of people with disabilities should not be excessively restrained, because there are many disabled people who actually live in families after dating and marriage.

Source: wikitree