Legislative Status and Implications of Euthanasia Introduction - Focusing on EU Countries

Some people desire death, but if the process is illegal, it ultimately shouldn't be done. In the current global debate over euthanasia, recognizing the right to die for terminally ill patients— in other words, euthanasia—is a crucial issue. In recent years, the number of countries legalizing euthanasia has increased worldwide. This year, following the French House of Commons, the British House of Commons passed a bill permitting euthanasia, further expanding the trend toward euthanasia. As the global trend toward assisted death with dignity continues, the social debate on assisted death with dignity continues in Korea. While related bills have been proposed in the National Assembly, they have yet to be enacted due to a lack of social consensus. While euthanasia was once considered taboo, it is now a topic of discussion, not a taboo, as people facing the boundary between life and death increasingly call for their own death. This shift, coupled with advances in medical technology, means that the principle of absolute protection of life, once universally recognized, is now facing new challenges. Advances in medical technology have fostered a desire for individuals to have their lives ended with dignity, at their own will, and in the presence of their families, at their own desired time and method. However, euthanasia faces considerable opposition, both in its support for alleviating patients' extreme suffering and guaranteeing their constitutional right to self-determination, and in its ethical concerns, such as the potential for disregard for life and abuse. This paper takes a step further, starting with the premise of institutionally permitting euthanasia and seeking to build a social consensus on death. Therefore, based on an understanding of “physician-assisted suicide” and “death with dignity,” which are often used interchangeably with the concept of euthanasia, this paper examines the legislative status of EU countries that permit euthanasia. It will then explore legislative measures to raise public awareness of euthanasia.