In the wake of the Constitutional Court’s ruling that abortion ban is unconstitutional, an activist group of pharmacists demanded the government legalize the use of the abortive drug, Mifegyne (mifepristone).

The Association of Pharmacists for Healthy Society (APHS) on Friday welcomed the Constitutional Court’s decision, calling it “a recognition of women’s right to decide on pregnancy, birth, and their body” in a statement.

“Still, the ruling is insufficient for women who want to abort. For safe abortion, the National Assembly should enact alternative legislation as soon as possible, and the government should prepare administrative measures to institutionalize abortion-related services,” the group said.

The association also called on pharmaceutical companies to consider seeking approval for mifepristone-containing drugs to broaden women’s choice to abort. “The World Health Organization (WHO) designated Mifegyn pill as an essential medicine for abortion in 2005. The pill is available in 69 countries around the world, but it is still illegally sold on the internet in Korea,” the APHS said.

The APHS noted that most of the drugs sold as Mifegyne online had uncertain conditions and that unclear dosing information and lack of experts’ supervision were seriously undermining the health of women.

The group urged lawmakers and the government to come up with practical measures, such as import of Mifegyn, so that the recent Constitutional Court’s ruling can help protect women’s rights to safe abortion.