The South Korean government has withdrawn its plan to abolish the mandatory gender separation rule for hospital inpatient rooms.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said Wednesday it will maintain the gender separation rule for general inpatient rooms, reflecting public opinions raised during the legislative notice process for the proposed partial amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Medical Service Act.
The government had earlier pursued the amendment to remove the gender separation requirement for inpatient rooms, citing the need to close the gap between the law and medical practice. However, opposition mounted on platforms including the Integrated Legislative Notice Center immediately after the legislative notice was issued.
Patients criticized the move as desk-bound administration that ignored the realities of multi-bed hospital rooms. They pointed out that activities such as changing clothes, various medical procedures, and catheter replacements take place frequently in hospital rooms, and that sharing a space with someone of the opposite sex separated only by a curtain would constitute an invasion of privacy and a violation of human rights.
Concerns also poured in that the change could heighten the risk of crimes such as sexual harassment, particularly amid growing public awareness of illegal filming and sex crimes.
As of 10:30 p.m. last Wednesday, 4,116 comments had been posted on the legislative notice on the People's Participation Legislative Center. Most opposed the abolition of the gender separation requirement, with comments such as "Patients need to rest comfortably in hospital rooms—how can we recover if it's uncomfortable?", "Patients have the right to be treated in a minimally comfortable and safe environment," and "Even staying in a room with people of the same sex is uncomfortable, so separating by gender is only natural."
As public opinion soured, the ministry ultimately revised its original plan. It decided to maintain the existing gender separation rule for general inpatient rooms while granting limited exceptions only when unavoidable for patient convenience.
The exceptions are limited to two cases: intensive care units, where gender-based operation is difficult, and two-person rooms shared by spouses or immediate family members for joint caregiving purposes. Only in these cases will men and women be permitted to share the same hospital room.
Article 35-2 of the current Enforcement Rules of the Medical Service Act requires inpatient rooms to be operated separately by gender. Medical institutions that violate the rule face administrative sanctions, including a corrective order for the first offense and a 15-day business suspension for the second.
