Death of patient in 'right to die' case

The family of the 77-year-old woman, who had been in a vegetative state since suffering brain damage in February 2008, had sued to force doctors to take her off life support, saying she opposed keeping people alive with machines when there was no chance of revival.

The Supreme Court sided with the family and the woman's respirator was removed last June.

The ruling showed how South Korea's attitudes toward death have changed in recent years.

The nation's societal mores and laws have largely been shaped by Confucian ideals that call for preserving and honouring the body. As recently as 2004, two doctors who took a severely brain-damaged patient off life support were convicted of abetting murder and received suspended prison terms.

But a survey last year indicated a majority of South Koreans now favour stopping life support for the terminally ill.

Severance Hospital spokesman Lee Sung-man said the condition of the woman – identified only by her surname, Kim – started deteriorating in late December and she died of multiple organ failure. Her family was with her.