South Korean man with rare neurological disorder fights for his right to die

Suffering from the agonising effects of acute myelitis, Lee Myung-shik sought assisted suicide in Switzerland in 2023, but was forced to cancel his plans to protect his daughter from potential criminal prosecution under South Korean law.

In response, he has initiated a landmark legal challenge against the country’s ban on assisted suicide.

His case before the Constitutional Court has sparked a national debate over the rights of terminally ill patients and the need for legal reform.