Police stop assisted suicide trip abroad

South Korean police delayed an aircraft’s departure to stop a man in his 60s suspected of attempting to travel overseas for assisted suicide, later handing him over to his family. Assisted suicide refers to the practice in which a patient self-administers lethal medication with medical assistance.

Police said they received an emergency call at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday from the man’s family, who asked officers to intervene, believing he was attempting to leave the country to seek a dignified death. In South Korea, the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment is permitted by law, but other forms of medically assisted death remain illegal.

The family said the man, who has pulmonary fibrosis, departed earlier that day from Gimhae International Airport, transferred at Incheon International Airport and was scheduled to board a flight to Paris at 12:05 p.m. Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic respiratory disease that hardens lung tissue, causing severe breathing difficulties, persistent coughing, extreme fatigue and sleep disorders.

After receiving the report, police obtained the man’s contact information from his family and met him near a boarding gate at Incheon International Airport at about 10 a.m. The man told officers he was making what he described as a final trip because of his worsening health, and police initially allowed him to proceed.

The situation changed at about 11:50 a.m., when the family contacted police again after discovering a letter resembling a suicide note that included an apology. By then, the aircraft was about 15 minutes from departure, and the man had already boarded.

Police delayed the flight, escorted the man off the aircraft and began persuading him to abandon the trip. A police official said that once the letter believed to be a suicide note was confirmed, officers determined the case involved a high risk of self-harm rather than an ordinary overseas journey. The official added that suicide prevention and the protection of life are among the police’s core responsibilities. Another officer of a similar age spoke with the man, stressing his family’s deep concern and urging him to return home. The man ultimately accepted the police’s appeal and abandoned his plan to leave the country.

A police investigation found that the man had planned to travel from Paris to Switzerland. While euthanasia involving the direct administration of lethal drugs by a physician is illegal in Switzerland, assisted suicide, in which patients self-administer medication with medical assistance, is permitted and extends to foreign nationals.

During a police interview, the man was quoted as saying that choosing his own death should be his right. A police official said officers weighed both the family’s request to block his departure and multiple warning signs indicating a risk of suicide. The official added that police confirmed the man returned to Gimhae Airport and, in coordination with local officers, safely handed him over to his family, who were waiting there.


인천=공승배기자 ksb@donga.com