South Korean Court says Frozen Embryos are Not 'Life Forms'

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A story out of South Korea today gives one pause: The Constitutional Court there has ruled that "human embryos left over from fertility treatment are not life forms and can be used for research or destroyed," according to Agence France-Presse.

 

The AFP wire says the court upheld an existing law allowing the use of leftover embryos for research. This also permits fertility clinics to

..."dispose of frozen embryos five years after fertilization treatment is completed.

The ruling means that human embryos that are in their early stage and are not implanted into a mother's womb cannot be seen as human life forms," the spokesman, Noh Hui-Beom, told AFP.

It's likely not the ending sought by pro-life activists and others who AFP said filed the petition with the court. They were seeking to halt use of embryos for research, now allowed under South Korea's bioethics law.

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Source: "Faith & Reason," USA TODAY

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