As MPs voted on the bill last year, protesters had carried placards stating "assist us to live not die" and "euthanasia is not the solution" outside parliament.

South Korea's "well-dying" Bill, passed on Jan 8, will allow terminally ill patients to forgo artificial life-prolonging treatment in the last phase of their life.

But it applies only to patients who have entered the dying process - not upon diagnosis - and have no chance of recovery. These patients will be allowed to refuse four kinds of procedures: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, kidney dialysis and cancer treatment.

To do so, patients must sign an Advance Medical Directive, a document indicating they do not wish to be hooked to life support machines when they are gravely ill.

Another option is to obtain a Doctor's Order. Two doctors must sign the order and consent must also be given by the patient's family.

The law will go into effect only in 2018. This is to allow time for the authorities to work out the details and boost medical facilities like hospices and palliative care centres, which are needed to cope with an expected surge in demand.

First proposed in 2013, the Bill was stuck at the National Assembly for three years before it was passed.

· Patient has to be over 15 years old

· Patient has to give written consent

· Two doctors need to agree that the patient has no chance of surviving/ terminally ill