Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
After fatal accident, father of 2 becomes lifesaving organ donor
Jang Sang-bin, second from right, poses with his family in this photo. He donated his organs following a fatal brain injury saving several lives. Courtesy of the Korea Organ Donation Agency
By Anna J. Park
A devoted father in his 40s, who died after a workplace accident, went on to save numerous lives through the donation of his organs and tissue.
According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, Jang Sang-bin, 44, was declared brain dead following a workplace accident in May. On June 6, at Gyeongsang National University Hospital, he donated his liver, both kidneys and right eye, offering a second chance at life to four patients in critical need of transplants.
In addition to his organs, Jang also donated his skin, bones, cartilage and blood vessels — gifts that offered more than 100 patients the hope of restored function and a path toward recovery.
Jang had worked for a private security firm for more than 15 years. On May 3, while performing a safety inspection at a factory, he fell from a height of approximately 5 meters. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition but never regained consciousness.
Faced with an unimaginable loss, his family made the difficult decision to donate his organs, hoping his final act would save lives. His wife, who had donated a kidney to her sister in her early 20s, believed her husband’s altruism and kindness would have guided him to make the same selfless choice.
The family also hoped that Jang’s two young children, a 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, would remember their father as someone who made a difference by saving others, even in his final moments.
On his days off, Jang enjoyed camping trips with his children and prioritized time with his family. His devotion to his loved ones will continue to live on in their memories and the lives of the people he helped.
In a poignant farewell, Jang’s wife, who described him as a wonderful husband and father, shared her final message: “Don’t worry about the kids. Rest peacefully in heaven.”