Changes

{{Construction Site}}'''South Korea''', a traditionally non-circumcising nation, nevertheless, adopted the practice of non-therapeutic [[circumcision]] during and after the Korean War (1950-53). The adoption of [[circumcision ]] may be traced to 1950, when the [[United States ]], which was then a nation devoted to circumcision, intervened in the Korean War (1950-53) and large numbers of mostly [[circumcised ]] American troops were sent into South Korea to aid in its defense.<ref name="kim1999">{{REFjournal

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A 1971 study of South Korean men who were being examined for military service found that only five percent of the men were [[circumcised]]. These men must have been born just before or during the Korean War, but were not [[circumcised]], so this indicates that the onset of non-therapeutic circumcision is of more recent vintage.<ref>{{REFjournal

Korean men have invented several reasons that they do not need a surgical [[adult circumcision| circumcision]], such as their [[foreskin ]] is short, that it retracts when they have an [[erection]], that it is not phimosed, or other reasons. This is called "naturally circumcised".<ref name="kim1999" />

Most Korean males are [[circumcised ]] not in infancy but at puberty, as teenagers or in their 20s, so it is now viewed as a "rite of passage". [[Circumcision ]] in infancy is rare in South Korea.<ref name="kim1999" /> Ku ''et al''. (2003) reported "a positive attitude toward circumcision in South Korean men, linking it with hygienic practices." They also reported the decision to circumcise was most often made by parents.<ref name="ku2003">{{REFjournal

}}</ref> The most usual age for [[Adolescent and adult circumcision| circumcision is about age 12]].<ref name="mckinney2002">{{REFnews

Kim ''et al''. (1999) carried out a survey of men in the Seoul area. They found that in the 16–25 year old age group 91 percent had been circumcised, with lesser percentages with increasing age groups.<ref name="kim1999" />

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The incidence of circumcision was found to exceed 100 percent, since the number of older males being [[circumcised]], exceeded the birth rate.<ref name="pang2002" />

Of the doctors surveyed, 41 percent performed circumcisions. General surgeons and urologists were most likely to perform circumcisions. Unlike America, only 28 percent of obstetricians did circumcisions and no paediatricians performed circumcisions. Doctors generally were poorly informed about [[circumcision]].<ref name="pang2002" />

Kim & Pang (2007) studied the effect of the [[foreskin]] on [[masturbation]]. They reported that masturbatory pleasure decreased in 48% of the respondents and increased in 8%, while difficulty increased in 63% but was easier in 37%. They concluded that there was a decrease in masturbatory pleasure after [[adult circumcision| circumcision]].<ref name="kimpang2007">{{KimDS PangMG 2007}}</ref> ==Declining rate of male circumcision reported== Kim et al. (2012) reported a new survey carried out in 2010-11 that found a sharp decline in the incidence of circumcision. The circumcision rate in the age 14–16 age group had declined over a decade from 88.4% to 56.4%. The circumcision rate in the 17–19 age group Had declined from 95.2% to 74.4%. The authors attributed the decline to the availability of better information on male non-therapeutic circumcision. The authors suggested that the practice of male circumcision is in steep decline in South Korea.<ref name="kim2012">{{REFjournal

|first=DaiSikDai Sik |init=DS |author-link=Dai Sik Kim |last2=Koo |first2=Sung-Ae |init2=SA |author2-link= |last3=Pang |first2first3=Myung-Geol |init2init3=MG |author3-link= |etal=no |title=The effect of Decline in male circumcision on sexualityin South Korea |trans-title= |language= |journal=BJU IntBMC Public Health |location= |date=2012-12-11 |volume=9912 |issue=3 |article= |page=1067 |pages=619-622 |url=https://onlinelibrarywww.wileyncbi.comnlm.nih.gov/doipmc/fullarticles/10.1111PMC3526493/j.1464-410X.2006.06646.x |archived=

|pubmedID=1715597723227923

|DOI=10.11111186/j.14641471-2458-12-1067 |accessdate=2012-410X01}}</ref> The percentage of males [[circumcised]] in South Korea (prevalence) is reported to be 77%.2006<ref>{{REFweb |url=https://circstatistics.06646github.xio/ |title=Global Circumcision Statistics and Estimates |last= |first= |init= |publisher=https://circstatistics.github.io |date=20072024-04-0301 |accessdate=20212024-0604-0601

==Declining rate Constitutional and human rights issues=====Constitutional issues===The ''Constitution of male the Republic of Korea'' (1948) as amended provides in Chapter Two the rights and duties of citizens.<ref name="ROKConstitution1948">{{REFdocument |title=Constitution of the Republic of Korea |url=https://elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_service/lawView.do?hseq=1&lang=ENG |contribution= |last= |first= |publisher=Korea Translation Center |format= |date=1948 |accessdate=2021-06-08}}</ref> Some provisions may be applicable to the practice of non-therapeutic circumcision reportedof minors. Article 10 provides:<blockquote>All citizens shall be assured of human worth and dignity and have the right to pursuit of happiness. It shall be the duty of the State to confirm and guarantee the fundamental and inviolable [[human rights]] of individuals.<ref name="ROKConstitution1948"/></blockquote> Article 34 provides:<blockquote>(1) All citizens shall be entitled to a life worthy of human beings.<br>(2) The State shall have the duty to endeavor to promote social security and welfare.<br>(3) The State shall endeavor to promote the welfare and rights of women.<br>(4) The State shall have the duty to implement policies for enhancing the welfare of senior citizens and the young.<br>(5) Citizens who are incapable of earning a livelihood due to a physical disability, disease, old age or other reasons shall be protected by the State under the conditions as prescribed by Act.<br>(6) The State shall endeavor to prevent disasters and to protect citizens from harm therefrom.<ref name="ROKConstitution1948"/></blockquote> Article 37 provides:<blockquote>(1) Freedoms and rights of citizens shall not be neglected on the grounds that they are not enumerated in the Constitution.<br>(2) The freedoms and rights of citizens may be restricted by Act only when necessary for national security, the maintenance of law and order or for public welfare. Even when such restriction is imposed, no essential aspect of the freedom or right shall be violated.<ref name="ROKConstitution1948"/></blockquote> There has been no attempt to apply these articles to the protection of boys' [[physical integrity]]. ===Human rights issues===

Kim The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the ''et al[[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]]''. (2012ICCPR) reported a new survey carried out in 2010December 1966.<ref name="lee1993">{{REFjournal |last=Lee |first=Suk Tae |init=ST |url=https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjil/vol14/iss4/3?utm_source=repository.law.umich.edu%2Fmjil%2Fvol14%2Fiss4%2F3&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages |title=South Korea: Implementation and Application of Human Rights Covenants |journal=MJIL |volume=14 |issue=705 |date=1993 |accessdate=2023-11 -02}}.</ref> The Republic of Korea (South Korea) ratified this international [[human rights]] treaty in April 1990. Article 6(1) of the ''Constitution of the Republic of Korea'' provides that found a sharp decline in treaties "duly concluded and promulgated under the Constitution and the generally recognized rules of international law shall have the same effect as the domestic laws of the incidence Republic of circumcisionKorea."<ref name="ROKConstitution1948"/><ref name="lee1993" />