Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
'Korean Schweitzer' to be introduced in South Sudanese textbook
By Jhoo Dong-chan
The late Lee Tae-sok
By Jhoo Dong-chan
The life of the late Catholic priest Lee Tae-sok, who devoted himself to helping people in need in Sudan, will be detailed in a textbook to be published by the government of South Sudan next year.
Born to a poor Catholic family in 1962, the ninth of 10 children, Lee decided to become a priest after graduating from medical college.
He was ordained in 2001 and first visited southern Sudan as a missionary. Due to the long civil war, there was no medical support at that time. Nearly 2 million people died during the war.
Lee decided to live in southern Sudan, devoting his life to people in need.
Later in the year, Lee revisited the country. He arrived at a small town called Tonj in southern Sudan and started a medical clinic. Some 300 patients visited Lee daily.
He built a school out of clay with the help of the children and organized a 35-member brass band with the students in an attempt to heal the scars of the long war.
Tonj people called Lee “Sudan’s Schweitzer,” after famous French missionary Albert Schweitzer, to honor his devotion.
In 2008, Lee was diagnosed with colorectal cancer while visiting Korea. After two years of struggling with the disease, Lee died in 2010. He was only 48.
His energetic life and outpouring of love and devotion were displayed in the Korean documentary film “Don’t Cry for Me, Sudan.”
According to the education ministry, Tuesday, South Sudan’s education minister, John Gai Yoah, is expected to discuss with his Korean counterpart, Hwang Woo-yea, at the 2015 World Education Forum, the acknowledging of Lee’s life in South Sudan’s textbooks.
“We understand they will ask for help to put Lee’s life in their textbooks,” said an education ministry official. “We will find what we can do for the South Sudan government.”