More than 85,000 terminally ill South Koreans have chosen to forgo life-prolonging treatment since the legalization of the right to die with dignity two years ago, government data showed.

The law took effect on Feb. 4, 2018, allowing terminal patients to sign up to forgo a “meaningless extension of life” by stopping or postponing four life-sustaining treatments.

According to the data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of patients who opted to die with dignity stood at 85,076 over the past two years. (Yonhap)