The Supreme Court of South Korea on 21 May recognized a comatose Korean woman's 'right to die with dignity', allowing her family members to take off her feeding tube and life support.
Kim, the 76-year-old woman has suffered from cerebral damage and in a vegetative state while undergoing lung surgery in February 2008.
Severance Hospital initially rejected her family members' request earlier this year.
Her family has appealed court approval to remove her respiratory device after she was declared brain dead last year.
The Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court have ordered the hospital to respect 'patient's right to die with dignity'.
The Supreme Court announced, "She has already entered a phase of death. In this case, continuing hospital treatment is to hurt her human dignity."<헬스코리아뉴스>