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Following a public outcry regarding safety, South Korea has abandoned a plan that would have eliminated mandatory gender segregation in hospital rooms, a health ministry official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday.
While nations like Canada and Japan have adopted gender-neutral spaces, the shift globally continues to fuel intense debate, with critics raising concerns over privacy and the potential risk of sexual misconduct in shared areas.
According to an article by The Korea Herald, since 2012, hospital rooms in Korea have been required to be segregated by sex under Article 35 of the Enforcement Rule of the Medical Service Act.
Violations can result in administrative penalties, including a corrective order and a 15-day suspension of operations.
The health ministry unveiled the plan last month as part of broader regulatory reforms to make it easier for family members and couples to share hospital rooms.
The latest revision to remove the requirement, announced Wednesday, came amid growing complaints from hospitals that spouses and immediate family members could not share the same room even when hospitalized together, increasing caregiving burdens.
Based on that, the health ministry had proposed the change, arguing that the regulation was no longer necessary.
The proposal drew strong opposition with over 4,127 comments posted on the government's legislative notice website.
"Patients engage in highly private activities, such as sleeping, washing, changing clothes, and receiving medical treatment. No matter how many curtains are installed, sharing the same space with patients of the opposite sex can cause significant discomfort and psychological stress," one commenter wrote.
Another described the proposal as an "ignorant bill that disregards the fear and anxiety of female patients."
The ministry responded to the mounting criticism by revising the proposal to retain the requirement while allowing limited exceptions.
"Gender segregation will be maintained as under the current system," a health ministry official told AFP Tuesday.
The health ministry added that the sex segregation requirement would not apply to intensive care units or two-person rooms shared by spouses or family members.
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