Lee Myung-shik, a Korean man who has endured constant discomfort since his 2020 diagnosis with acute myelitis, is moved to his bed with the help of a caregiver at his home in Jeju Island, June 9. AFP-Yonhap
JEJU — In excruciating pain from a debilitating neurological condition, Lee Myung-shik had reluctantly given up on assisted death in Switzerland when he learned his daughter risked prison time if she helped him.
Now the 65-year-old is looking to Korea's Constitutional Court for help in what is the first known legal challenge to the country's assisted dying ban, according to his lawyer.
Despite strong opioid pain medication, wheelchair-bound Lee has endured constant discomfort since his 2020 diagnosis with acute myelitis, a rare condition that has no known cure.
His urine is drained through a catheter, and a carer manually removes his stool.
