National Committee for Hospice Care and Life-Sustaining Treatment

It is a social consultation body consisting of 15 members from the medical community, religious community, ethics circle, legal circle, and patient group with the vice minister of Health and Welfare as a chairperson, which reviews comprehensive and implementation plans for Hospice Care and Life-Sustaining Treatment and other important matters related to Hospice Care and Life-Sustaining Treatment.

National Agency for Management of Life-sustaining Treatment

It manages the system overall, including system establishment/operation, management and supervision of medical institutions and registry agencies, and training of employees, and is entrusted with the functions of the Korea National Institute for Bioethics Policy.

Medical Institution

Assessment of a patient at the end stage of life, verification of patient’s intention, and withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment can be conducted only at medical institutions where Ethics Committee has been established according to the system for decisions to forgo LST.

Registry Agencies for Advance Directives

Registry Agencies for Advance Directives carry out counseling on advance directives on life-sustaining treatment, and preparation and registration of advance directives on life-sustaining treatment. Regional healthcare institutions such as health centers, etc., medical institutions, non-profit corporations(organizations) that carry out business related to Advance Directives and public institutions can perform such functions.