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Members of the civic group BWAVE dressed in black and stood in front of the Bosingak belfry on June 3 to protest the criminalization of abortion. The group staged a “baby vending machine” performance to protest the perception of women as “baby factories.” (Kim Bong-gyu

“Women are not baby factories. Women are not incubators!”

Over 200 women crowded in front of the Bosingak belfry in Seoul’s Jongno District on June 3, dressed in black under sweltering temperatures of nearly 30 degrees. BWAVE, a group of anonymous women calling for the full-scale legalization of abortion in South Korea, staged the rally that afternoon to call for a decision finding the criminalization of abortion unconstitutional. It was the first rally for abortion’s legalization since proceedings questioning the law’s constitutionality began in a Constitutional Court case on May 24.

Like the “Black Friday” demonstrations held in Poland with demonstrators dressed in black to symbolize mourning for women’s reproductive rights, the members of BWAVE have been wearing black to demonstrations since Oct. 2017.

“If there is a Constitutional Court decision finding [the law] unconstitutional, we plan to immediately begin pressuring the administration and legislature to introduce alternative bills,” the members said.

staff photographer)

During the rally, a “baby vending machine” performance was staged to symbolize the perception of women as “instruments” for carrying babies. With buttons reading “demographic cliff,” “contraception failure,” and “sex crime,” the vending machine bore the message, “Press a button and a baby will come out.” BWAVE explained that it “staged the performance to send the message that we shouldn’t view women as machines for bearing children, and that we should guarantee women’s safety and right to decide in the pregnancy and childbirth process.”

The Ministry of Justice opinion submitted for the open arguments was also lambasted at the rally. In its opinion, the ministry said that women seeking abortions “wish to have sexual intercourse without the pregnancy and childbirth that result from it.” After an outcry erupted, the ministry announced on May 31 that it had “withdrawn the opinion due to some inappropriate wording.” Echoing the language from the opinion, rally participants said the ministry “wishes to submit [an opinion] without taking responsibility for it.”

“Even though the WHO views access to safe and legal abortion as a basic right that women should possess, the Ministry of Justice has shown a backward attitude that regards it as a crime and passes all responsibility off on the women alone,” BWAVE said.

BWAVE added that it would “continue holding demonstrations to express our anger to the Justice Ministry and bring about a Constitutional Court unconstitutionality decision.” The South Korean criminal code states that a woman who “procures her own miscarriage through the use of drugs or other means” is subject to up to one year in prison or fines of up to 2 million won (US$1,870).

By Hwang Geum-bi, staff reporter

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