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영어

This article evaluates Bills of 'Death with Dignity Act' in Korea. This seeks to provide a overview of the legislative process on Bills of 'Death with Dignity Act'. Now several Bills of 'Death with Dignity Act' are introduced by 3 member of the National Assembly and NGO. The Bills of 'Death with Dignity Act' in Korea regulate how a patient can refuse life-sustaining medical apparatus in what condition. The purpose of these bills is to permit patients to determine a dignity or natural death himself/herself. The self-determination of patients must be informed. The right to self-determination of patients includes life-sustaining medical care and the right to refuse life-sustaining medical care. The Korean Constitution can be interpreted that the right of dying patients to refuse life-sustaining medical care be respected. The right to refuse life-sustaining medical care for dying patients was established in the case of 'Severance Hospital', decided by the Korean Supreme Court in 2009.