In an letter of opinion sent on March 30 to the Constitutional Court, the gender ministry said the court "needs to review the current law against abortion, which gravely violates women's right to health, which is a basic right," the document released to the media on Wednesday showed.

"Women's rights to self-determination, reproduction and health should be protected as basic rights under the Constitution as well as international regulations," the ministry also said in opposition of the anti-abortion law.

"The abortion law as defined in the first clause of the Article 269 and the first clause of Article 270 of the Criminal Act is limiting such basic rights for women for the purpose of protecting the life of a fetus," the ministry also said, adding that the court needs to review whether the law is infringing on the basic rights of women. (Yonhap)