Though angered by doctors' work slowdown, he never abandoned hope

The article eulogizes Dr. Woo Seok-gyun, who passed away on June 7, 2026, after a prolonged illness. Described as a "good doctor" and a "명의" (a doctor with exceptional skill), Woo was remembered for his deep empathy towards patients, treating everyone without discrimination and often providing care at low or no cost for those unable to afford it.

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He enjoyed listening to patients' stories and shared in their suffering. He did not discriminate against any patient and welcomed the powerless and the poor.

Beyond his medical practice, Dr. Woo was a fervent social activist. He was actively involved in numerous causes, including opposing medical privatization, advocating for public healthcare, and campaigning for food safety, anti-war efforts, nuclear phase-out, environmental protection, labor rights, women's rights, and climate crisis response. His contributions were marked by "outstanding logic and passionate oratory."

The author reflects on Dr. Woo's unwavering belief in the positive function of doctors in society, even when facing challenges like the "work slowdown" by his colleagues, which deeply troubled him. Despite his own declining health, he held onto the hope that doctors could be trained differently and continue to serve humanity.

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He was one of the few doctors who asked about the labor involved when a patient complained of pain, and he performed treatments that other clinics charged expensively for free or at a low cost.

Dr. Woo identified as a Marxist and believed in the power of the working class's revolutionary practice. He saw himself as a romantic, not in a conservative sense, but as embodying a "subversive and revolutionary critical sentiment." His passion extended to music, literature, and art, earning him the description of having an "artistic temperament."

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He never gave up the idea that doctors could function positively even in a capitalist society if they truly had a heart for patients. Because his love and expectations were so great, his anger was sometimes great, but he always believed that medical practice that reduces human suffering could play a positive role in society.

The piece concludes by emphasizing that honoring Dr. Woo means continuing the struggle for a better world, carrying forward his "laughter, his anger, and his desire for social change." The author quotes Ursula K. Le Guin: "What you don't give, you can't receive. You must give yourself. The revolution cannot be lived, or made. You can only become the revolution. It lives in your soul, or nowhere."

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You must give yourself. The revolution cannot be lived, or made. You can only become the revolution. It lives in your soul, or nowhere.