In these past 2 decades, dramatic improvement in technology have greatly expanded the scope of female and male surgical sterilization in Korea. Female and male surgical sterilization are readily accepted because those are simple, in expensive, effective and apparently without serious postoperative complications and the failure rates are very low. In 1986, 92,000 cases of vassectoncy and 312,000 tubal sterilization were taken by the financial support of government in Korea. In this important appraisal the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs provided the guideline for the physicians on the medicoethical problems of surgical sterilization for men and women. The various medicoethical consideration that may give arise to the physicians as well as family planning workers in connection with surgical sterilization are also reviewed and discussed.