A 17-year-old high school senior died during an abortion procedure in Seoul, Saturday.
Gwangjin Police Station said Wednesday that the girl, who was 23 weeks pregnant, died from a severe hemorrhage while undergoing the surgery. The incident happened at a female clinic in Hwayang-dong in Seoul’s Gwangjin district.
The hemorrhage originated from a 3 centimeter-wide hole in her vagina created during the operation. Her blood pressure dropped significantly during the procedure and her heart stopped beating. It was too late to save her when she was taken to nearby hospital some five hours later.
The police requested that an autopsy be carried out on the body of the girl at the National Forensic Service to establish the exact cause of her death.
The deceased visited the clinic with her parents on Friday, the day after the national college entrance exam was held. Immediately after, she told her parents that she was pregnant. She had kept it a secret for the past six months. She underwent surgery the following day.
The victim’s parents said that a doctor at the clinic strongly recommended the abortion and requested 6.5 million won in cash. The clinic, however, was not a certified obstetrician but a beauty clinic that usually conducts Botox injections and weight loss surgery.
The girl’s parents plan to file a suit against the clinic. The clinic is temporarily closed.
Abortions are illegal under the current law except in cases of rape or if there are genetic problems in the fetus.
