South Korea Keeps Gender Segregation Rule in Hospital Rooms After Public Pushback

South Korea has withdrawn a proposal that would have ended mandatory gender segregation in hospital inpatient rooms. A health ministry official confirmed the decision on Tuesday after the plan drew more than 4,000 comments on the government’s legislative notice website.

The ministry unveiled the plan last month as part of broader regulatory reforms intended to make it easier for family members and couples to share hospital rooms.

Under the withdrawn proposal, hospitals would no longer have been required to separate patients by gender in inpatient rooms, a rule currently punishable by up to 15 days’ suspension for violations. “Gender segregation will be maintained as under the current system,” the health ministry official said Tuesday.

Exceptions for intensive care units, where patients require close monitoring regardless of sex, and for two-bed rooms occupied by family members will remain in place, the ministry added.

The health ministry had proposed the change, arguing that some hospitals already allowed married couples to share two-bed rooms and that the regulation was no longer necessary. The decision to withdraw came after reflecting on the response from the public, the ministry said. Countries such as Japan and Canada have gender-neutral facilities.

The proposal drew strong opposition, with comments including one that stated there could be a possibility of sex crimes targeting women and another that described the proposal as an ignorant bill that disregards the fear and anxiety of female patients.