Park Jin-tak, pioneer of South Korea’s first kidney donation, dies at 89

Park Jin-tak, the first person in South Korea to donate a kidney to someone he did not know, has died at 89. The honorary chairman of the Korean Organ Donation Association died early on Sept. 8 after suffering cardiac arrest while receiving hospital treatment for an age-related illness, the organization said.

A pastor by training, Park devoted his life to what he called the movement to share life. He founded the Korean Blood Donation Association in 1969 and led efforts to establish blood donation in South Korea. In January 1991, he donated one of his kidneys to a patient whose face and name he did not know.

Park reportedly explained his decision at the time by saying, “I cannot pretend not to know when I can endure pain for a few days and save a life.” In the same year, he established the Korean Organ Donation Association, which now has about 1.2 million registered prospective organ donors.

A funeral hall has been set up at Korea University Anam Hospital in Seoul’s Seongbuk District. The association will hold the funeral, with the funeral procession scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sept. 10. In keeping with Park’s wishes, his body will be donated to Korea University College of Medicine.

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I cannot pretend not to know when I can endure pain for a few days and save a life.