A father in his 50s, who had urged his daughter serving in the military to "stand with those who are weak and without power," gave three people new lives through organ donation and died.
According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency (KODA) on the 16th, Kim Yong-seop, 53, donated his liver and both kidneys through brain-death organ donation at Korea University Anam Hospital on Feb. 26. Kim's organs were transplanted into three patients.
On Feb. 20, Kim visited a hospital for shoulder pain, then suddenly complained of chest pain and other symptoms before losing consciousness and collapsing. His condition rapidly worsened, and he eventually reached brain death.
His family recalled Kim's desire to help those in need and agreed to organ donation. His only daughter, Kim Jae-gyeong, said, "My father was someone who wanted to help when he saw people in difficult situations and to be a positive influence," adding, "If someone can gain a new life through my father's final sacrifice, I believed he would certainly have wanted to donate, so we agreed."
Kim, a native of Yeongwol, Gangwon, worked in construction and lived diligently. His family remembered him as someone who spoke out with conviction against wrongdoing while showing warmth to those without power. He was so affectionate that even his daughter's friends called him "dad," and to his daughter, he was like a friend with whom she could comfortably share concerns about work and dating.
In his youth, Kim dreamed of becoming a police officer but set aside that goal out of a sense of responsibility to support his family. Having grown up hearing her father's stories since childhood, his daughter Jae-gyeong naturally chose the path of wearing a uniform and serving the nation. She is now in her ninth year as a career soldier, serving as a staff sergeant in the Army II Corps Military Police Group.
Kim proudly called his daughter "my second self." To his daughter in uniform, he said, "You must stand with those who are weak and without power. Because not just anyone can wear a military uniform, your conduct must also be beyond reproach."
In a letter to her father, Jae-gyeong wrote, "I recall our happy memories and think back on the times I missed and was grateful for," and, "I am proud of the father who always felt proud of me." She continued, "I'm so glad that my cool dad is my dad," and, "I love and respect you. Loyalty."
Lee Sam-yeol, president of the Korea Organ Donation Agency (KODA), said, "The life of the deceased, who taught his daughter to stand with those who are weak, culminated in the sharing of life at the final moment," adding, "As we mark June, the month of patriots and veterans, I hope the noble sacrifice and warm heart shown by the father of a soldier will be long remembered in our society."