Lee Seung-hee’s organ donation saves four lives in South Korea

Lee Seung-hee, a 63‑year‑old former elementary school teacher who spent three decades on the school podium, was declared brain‑dead after a sudden severe headache on 5 May. On 10 May at Changwon Hanmaum Hospital she donated both lungs, her liver and both kidneys, as well as bone and vascular tissue. The transplants gave new life to four patients, according to the Korean Organ Donation Agency.

Her family said she had long wished to continue helping society after death, and they agreed to the donation after doctors explained that organ donation is possible in brain‑death cases. Lee had also written poetry, published several books about teaching and lived a low‑impact lifestyle in a mountain village. Agency director Lee Sam‑yeol praised her, stating, “Through her final act of sharing life, she left a lasting opportunity for others to continue living.”

The agency noted that, as of 27 May, 261 brain‑dead donors have been recorded this year, compared with 370 in the previous year, highlighting the growing importance of organ donation in South Korea.