A woman in her 70s who practiced giving by volunteering every weekend to prepare meals for hikers at a Buddhist temple has saved three lives through posthumous organ donation before passing away.
According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency (KODA) on Wednesday, Gong Mal-su, 71, donated her liver and both kidneys at Pusan National University Hospital on May 6, saving three precious lives.
Gong was involved in a traffic accident on May 4 while returning home from work at a senior club. She was rushed to the hospital but never regained consciousness and was declared brain-dead.
Her family decided to proceed with organ donation, believing the deceased — who had always loved helping others — would have wanted to save other lives even at the end of her own.
According to her bereaved family, Gong was born the fifth of eight siblings — three sons and five daughters — in Gimhae. After finishing school, she helped her parents with farming and later worked at a restaurant while raising her children after marriage. On weekends, she volunteered at a Buddhist temple, and she was known for her warm nature, always being the first to approach and help those in need around her.
Her son, Jung Hyun-seok, delivered his final words: "Mom, I'm truly grateful for everything you've done for us, and I'm sorry I didn't say 'I love you' more often. I hope you're doing well in heaven. I love you."
Lee Sam-yeol, head of KODA, said, "We will do our best to provide support to the donor's family, who carried on the donor's spirit of helping others."
