A young man gives a new life to five people

“My dreamer son, I wish that even in his transformed existence, he may flourish like a flower that never fully blossomed.”

The late Kim Sang-woo (31, photo), who directed the movie Ansiseong and BTS’s Mic Drop music video, has left a lasting legacy by gifting a new life to five individuals through organ donation.

On Thursday, the Korea Organ Donation Agency disclosed that Kim had donated his heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys through a brain-dead organ donation process at Pusan National University Hospital on Sept. 13. Expressing her consent for the organ donation, Kim's mother conveyed her wish, saying, “I hope my son's legacy can endure through this act of giving.”

On Sept. 10, Kim fell while riding a rented bicycle in a park, resulting in a severe head injury. Despite swift medical attention, he remained unconscious and eventually entered a state of brain death from which he never recovered.

Kim, a young man brimming with dreams and sincerity, dedicated his career to Korea New Network (KNN) and the Busan Film Commission. His kind and compassionate nature shone through, as he never hesitated to look after those around him. He volunteered at an abandoned dog organization and even adopted an abandoned dog. Kim Soo-hyun, his older sister, penned her final words to her beloved younger brother: “Sang-woo, I am incredibly thankful and joyful to have you as a part of our family. Until we meet again, I cherish the time we’ve had. You are a precious little brother to me, and I love you.”


choigiza@donga.com