Calls are growing to elevate support for organ donors and their families from simple assistance to a "national duty." With only 7.7 organ donors per million population, expanding donations depends not just on institutional improvements but on shifting social perceptions. Advocates argue that beyond financial compensation, an environment must be created where donors and families can feel genuine pride in their life-saving decisions.
Korea currently has an established economic support system for organ and tissue donors. Bereaved families receive 5.4 million won ($3,900) in funeral expenses, with an additional 1.8 million won for tissue donation. Families who register as transplant recipients can receive up to 4 priority points. "Four points can meaningfully change one's position on the transplant waiting list," said Son Sun-young, president of the Korean Association of Organ Transplant Coordinators. "It functions as practical consideration."
Countries with active organ donation programs take a different approach. The United States, with 49.7 donors per million—seven times Korea's rate—strictly applies principles of "gratuitous altruism" and prohibits direct financial compensation.
Instead, U.S. organ procurement organizations create physical memorial spaces. LifeSource, a Midwest procurement organization, operates a "Healing Garden" where memorial walls and benches are inscribed with donors' names and dedications, updated annually. The space allows families to visit and mourn while helping local residents naturally encounter the meaning of organ donation and recognize that society respects their choices.
While Korea provides economic support, the question remains whether donors and families feel socially recognized through symbolic honors. The argument is that donation should be positioned not as individual goodwill but as a public act that society remembers and commemorates.
Related programs do exist. Since 2022, the Korea Organ Donation Agency has operated the "Life Sharing Hope Mailbox," allowing families and recipients to exchange letters online. Previously prohibited, limited correspondence became possible after legal revisions. Recipients' direct expressions of gratitude provide families with respect and emotional comfort for their donation decision.
The "Brain-Dead Organ Donor Memorial Wall" on the first floor of Seoul National University Hospital serves a similar purpose. The space bears the names of 273 donors from 2003 to 2025. Though nearly abandoned multiple times due to budget shortfalls, it was completed through voluntary donations from transplant recipients. "Initially, we gave up on construction several times due to severely insufficient budget," said Jung Hae-mi, head nurse at SNUH's Organ Transplant Center. "Voluntary contributions from lung, liver, and kidney recipients, combined with internal cost-saving efforts, finally made the memorial wall possible."
Local governments also support donor families, though support levels vary. Busan operates systematic programs including reduced funeral facility fees, family support groups, and psychological treatment subsidies. However, most local governments offer only nominal benefits like reduced public facility fees.
The Korea Organ Donation Agency (KODA) and the Korean Network for Organ Sharing (KONOS) have held meetings since last year to reduce these disparities and strengthen inter-regional cooperation. "We're introducing best practices through local government meetings," a KODA official said, "but improvements take time since they require ordinance revisions and budget allocations."
What families consistently request is a national memorial park—a space where society officially remembers life-giving decisions and citizens can naturally encounter the value of organ donation.
Song Jong-bin, a brain-dead donor's family member, said, "What families need isn't compensation but remembrance." He added, "We need memorial parks like those abroad. Simply recording names and sending a message that society respects that choice has tremendous impact." He argues that "memory and respect" are more powerful than financial compensation in changing perceptions about organ donation.
However, memorial park construction has stalled due to NIMBY opposition, budget constraints, and insufficient social consensus. Some communities oppose parks, viewing them as equivalent to funeral facilities. Fiscal burden-sharing between central and local governments poses additional obstacles. National projects face budget priority challenges, while local standalone projects face financial strain. The fundamental limitation remains that a culture recognizing and respecting donation as a noble choice for society has not yet fully formed.
Lee Jae-myung, a professor of critical care and trauma surgery at Korea University Anam Hospital, proposed a "disease credit" system to help donor families feel pride. This voucher-type support would allow use at donating hospitals for future health checkups or medical care. "Beyond cash support, it's important to create an atmosphere that respects families who saved others' lives, similar to how we honor national merit recipients," Lee said.
