Blood donor cards illegally traded online

By Nam Hyun-woo

Blood bag

Illegal transactions of human blood have resurfaced recently as people have begun selling blood donor cards online.

Under the current law, a person can donate their blood donation cards, but selling or purchasing them is prohibited. Those involved in such transactions face a maximum of five years in jail or a fine up to 20 million won.

A 23-year-old college student surnamed Kwak said people can easily find websites where cards are illegally traded. She said recently that she found one after an acquaintance was hit by a car and urgently needed blood.

On a number of online second-hand markets, Kwak said people in need of transfusions have posted messages that they are looking for cards.

Some solicit donations, but those who are desperate advertise that they are willing to pay for the cards.

Card holders leave their phone numbers so that those in need can call them. Some ask those who need the cards to call and say how much they are willing to pay.

Sources say the average price of a blood donor card is 5,000 won, approximately 3,000 won lower than patients need to pay if they receive blood at hospitals.

Some of those who sell cards are young people seeking to make extra money.

However, the trade is showing signs of becoming an organized crime.

The Korea Times approached one seller found on the Internet story. The seller posted a message reading that he had more than 100 cards and was willing to negotiate a price with those interested in purchasing them. Asked how much he wanted, the seller stated 6,000 won ($5.3) per card, adding that such a price was reasonable.

“If you feel uncomfortable buying the cards with cash, you can give me prepaid department store coupons instead,” he said.

He suggested alternative ways of making payment due to the illegality of the transaction.

A blood donor card is a certificate given to blood donors. The card aims at bringing in more blood donors and providing them with incentives for their sharing by making a 400-milliliter pack of blood available for free ­-- regardless of blood types -- if the donor requires a transfusion in the future.

The Korean Red Cross (KRC), the provider of the donor cards, explains that if a patient undergoes a transfusion, he or she normally has to pay.

If the patient’s ailment is covered by health insurance, 80 percent of the cost is deducted.

If the patient has a blood donor card, the remaining 20 percent is deducted.

Since the transfusion of a standard 400-milliliter pack of blood costs 40,000 won on average, one card is worth approximately 8,000 won for the patient.

Selling blood was common in the 1970s when the nation was extremely poor. After the act prohibiting the transaction of blood took effect in 1981, the trade gradually disappeared.

The KRC expressed worries over the transaction of human blood, saying it would seek cooperation to stamp out the practice.