Pledge to Stop Life-Sustaining Treatment surpassed 3 million in 7 years and 6 months after its introduction...Women twice as many as men

Aug 10, 2025

Pledge to Stop Life-Sustaining Treatment surpassed 3 million in 7 years and 6 months after its introduction...Women twice as many as men
◇The cumulative number of registered advance letter of intent. As of 5 p.m. on August 10, there were 3,03237 people.

Data = National Life-Sustaining Care Management Agency



In February 2018, 7 years and 6 months after the enforcement of the so-called 「Dignity Law」, the number of people who pledged to choose death with dignity instead of life-sustaining care exceeded 3 million.

According to the National Life-Sustaining Care Management Agency, a total of 3,3003,237 people registered advance letter of intent not to receive life-sustaining care as of 5 p.m. on the 10th. The advance letter of intent for life-sustaining treatment is a document that prepares the intention for life-sustaining treatment and hospice in advance in preparation for one's death. Anyone over the age of 19 agrees to stop or not provide life-sustaining care if they are medically judged to be in the process of termination after visiting 556 designated registration agencies nationwide for sufficient explanation" may be signed. The written letter of intent must be registered in the life-sustaining medical information processing system to take effect legally. The letter of intent includes specific expressions of intention related to the suspension of life-sustaining treatment and plans to use hospice, and 15 days after writing, it can be inquired online or through a visit to a registration agency. The author may change or withdraw the contents of the letter of intent at any time.

In 2018, the first year when the advance letter of intent was introduced, only 80,000 people participated, but it exceeded 1 million in August 2021 and exceeded 2 million in October 2023.




As of the end of July, women accounted for 1.99 million out of 2,989,812 people who registered their letters of intent, double that of men. One in five (21.0%) of the population aged 65 or older, especially about one in four (24.9%) of women aged 65 or older, expressed their intention to stop life-sustaining treatment.

A total of 443,874 people have so far been suspended from life-sustaining treatment through advance directives.

Meanwhile, refusal of life-sustaining treatment is expected to expand. In a survey of 1,021 adult men and women last year by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 91.9% said they were willing to stop life-sustaining treatment when they became terminally ill, and 82.0% agreed to legalize assisted dignity.








This article was translated by Naver AI translator.