현대 생명공학의 발달로 인해 배아연구, 줄기세포, 유전공학 등이 우리에게 불치병과 난치병의 연구에 희망을 안겨주고 있다. 그러나 이에 따른 여러 가지 윤리적인 문제점도 부각되고 있는데 이에 대한 생명공학 연구의 정당성이 요구된다. 생명윤리에 관한 논쟁은 초기에는 주로 생명공학의 유용성과 위험성에 대한 논의였다. 그러나 20세기 후반부터 시작된 생명공학의 붐은 현재에는 그 구체적인 제한과 허용 기준에 대한 논의로 전환되고 있다. 인공수정과 체외수정에 대한 새로운 법률문제를 출발점으로 삼았던 생명윤리논쟁은 인간복제시대에 들어서면서 과거에는 문제시되지 않았던 다양한 문제들이 나타났다. 인간의 시작에 대한 논쟁과 유전자 치료술에 의한 생식자의 법적지위, 유전자정보의 특성, 바이오매트릭스의 허용 등 중첩적 또는 개별적으로 논의의 중심에 놓이게 된 것이다. 이것은 그 사회의 구성원들이 어느 정도까지 용인할 수 있는가의 가치판단이 개입된 문제인 동시에 사회적 합의가 요구되는 규범적 문제로 부각되었다.
민사법적 논의로 시작된 생명윤리에 관한 문제는 이제 형사법논의로 발전되었는데 이는 생명공학의 위험성의 통제도구로서 형사정책상 필요성이 제기되었기 때문이다. 이를 통해 생명공학에서 발생할 수 있는 사회적 갈등을 예측하고 이에 대한 기준을 제공하는 것이 형법의 새로운 임무가 되었다. 생명공학을 둘러싼 경제적 가능성이나 위험성이 증대될수록 형사정책적 분석이나 예측의 필요성이 강조될 것이고 생명윤리에 대한 형법적 보호문제는 그 구체적인 기준과 내용을 통해 어느 정도까지 수인할 수 있는지가 새로운 화두가 되었다. 그러므로 본 연구는 인간의 존엄과 가치를 침해하지 않으면서도 인간의 요구를 충족시키는 바로미터를 각 사례에 따라 검토하고자 한다.
Considering the origin and process of academic development of biomedical ethics, bioethics which is reflected from the standpoint of medicine seems much like biomedical ethics which is on the backbone of medical ethics. Of many a theme on bioethics from the standpoint of medicine, topics on principle of medical ethics, human dignity, and life justice could be regarded as exemplary ones.
Nowadays, the fundamental principles of medical ethics have been the principle of respect for autonomy, the principle of nonmaleficence, the principle of beneficence, and the principle of justice.
Additionally, from the standpoint of life justice, natural basic value of life is second to none of every other social basic value and makes a basic constituent of the equality of human rights. Every human life should be protected from the very beginning and guaranteed to be concepted in the midst of human relationships and born in the complete and genial family relations. Also, every privacy which could be laid in the process of conception and birth should be protected lest it should be invaded.
Medicine is, by nature, a moral profession. Even though, these days, the events on the beginning and the end of life would not be wrapped in a awe of mystery, the time of life should be received as the most significant and precious thing in the whole world.
Recently, the research in embryonic stem cell which has been suggested as a new treatment for some incurable diseases leads to fast development in biological science. In Korea, biological science has been a special attention. People who don't have any professional knowledge know the scientific term, “stem cell”. It is clear that life science is one of the major disciplines in the future. However, there are controversies on ethical aspects of life science.
Hence, we would like to raise major issues in the field of recent biological science. We would suggest different aspects about the time point life starts. We also consider the induction of superovulation and its side effects because human egg is the key of biological science and superovulation is the way of gathering ova. Genetic engineering is associated with genetic testing and designer baby. Chimera for organ transplantation, animal experiments, and genetically modified organisms are urgent problems life science face. We would introduce regulations for clinical trials and research honesty, moral character which should be built inside the scientists' mind.
The major purposes of biological science are promotion of human health. The study of biological science would contribute to human welfare; however, ethical problems are not to be avoided. The tendency of the world science is toward life science. Searching for the appropriate answers to growth power of 21 century i.e. contribution to the human health promotion, and misuse of personal genetic information, eugenic modification to embryos is really important. It is the matter of the highest priority that we should try to find solutions through discussions, which would lead us to the ethical points.
Criminal Law protects the human life with the provision of murder when he/she has born, and with the provision of abortion before the birth, which punishes the criminal less severely. And the fetus, that is the object of abortion and becomes a person by the birth, is the existence after implantation of fertilized egg. Therefore the life of fertilized egg or embryo, especially the life of early embryo before appearance of the primitive streak is denied and excluded from the legal protection. But accordingly the development of bio technology, genetic diagnosis and in vitro fertilization(lVF), it becomes possible to manipulate embryo artificially before implantation.
For the protection of bioethics and biosafety, Bioethics and Biosafety Act is in force, but the purpose of this act is protecting of bioethics and human dignity in bio technology, not the life of embryo itself. Oppositely it is alleged that embryo should be regarded as valuable as an early form of human life. And quite recently, the Constitutional Court of Korea has decided that the early embryo is not the human being. This paper discusses the regulations of Bioethics and Biosafety Act concerning embryo and the grounds of that decision.
