A pastor in his 60s who championed sharing under the belief that it is more blessed to give than to receive saved four lives through organ donation before passing away.
According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency on Tuesday, Cho Young-sam, 62, donated his liver, lungs, and both kidneys at Chosun University Hospital on April 28 this year, giving four people a new lease on life.
Cho suffered a brain hemorrhage on the 23rd of the same month and underwent emergency surgery, but never regained consciousness and was declared brain dead.
His family said they consented to the donation, recalling that Cho had expressed his wish to "donate his organs" and had registered as a prospective organ donor in 2015. His son, Cho Eun-bin, said, "When my paternal grandmother passed away in the past, she donated her body." He added, "Following her wish, my father also registered as a prospective organ donor more than 10 years ago, which I learned about, and I consented to the donation because I considered it his final wish."
According to the bereaved family, Cho was born in 1963 in Gwangju as the youngest of five siblings. Based on a faith he had carried since childhood, he cared for his neighbors as a pastor for some 20 years. With a witty character and warm personality, he earned deep trust from those around him. He married a woman he met at church and had one son and two daughters, including Eun-bin.
On weekends, he was an affectionate spouse who watched dramas with his wife and shared simple joys, and he was an unwavering pillar of support for his three children. He was reportedly preparing for the formal meeting between the two families ahead of Eun-bin's wedding, the first among the three siblings, adding to the sorrow.
Eun-bin looked back, saying, "Based on the family motto that 'it is more blessed to give than to receive,' he was a husband and father who always led a harmonious home." He added, "He was a devoted family man who took such good care of us that everyone around us said there was no one like my father." He left a final farewell: "The rest of the family will be fine, so wait for us in heaven and let's meet later. I respect and love you."
Lee Sam-yeol, head of the Korea Organ Donation Agency, said, "Cho Young-sam, who gave love and led by example as a pastor, showed the noble value of love through the sharing of life." He added, "I extend my deep gratitude and condolences to the deceased, who kept his promise of sharing, and to the bereaved family, who made a precious decision."
