Mission life: THE KUKMIN DAILY

“Three out of four persons don’t know how to register as organ donors”

2018-03-21 16:46

Reportedly, three out of four Koreans lack knowledge of the procedure for registering as an organ donor. Though 18 years has passed since the Organ Transplantation Law went into effect in February 2002, citizens’ awareness about organ donation remains low. This situation points to the need for public information about the system, and continued improvement of related ordinances.

People Sharing Life, Inc. (board chair: Rev. Im Seok-gu) of the Korean Methodist Church (KMC) is an organ-donation registry organization under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. On March 19, at its 1st Sharing Life Forum (photo), held at the KMC headquarters on Sejong-daero in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the organization reported on the situation.

A recent survey shows that just 25% of citizens are knowledgeable about the process of registering to donate organs, with 54% being unaware that they can indicate on their citizen ID card the wish to donate their organs. Asked their feelings about organ donation, a high 46% gave positive answers, 16% were negative, and 37% were “not sure.”

The reasons given for negative replies, in order, were: traditional values and culture (35%), lack of information or awareness about organ donation (29%), corrution related to organ donation (15%), distrust of medical institutions (12%) and religious reasons (9%), revealing an urgent need for improved awareness. These statistics are the results of a nationwide survey in October last year of 1,004 men and women, titled “Research on Awareness About Organ Donation.”

According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, donations of organs following brain death totaled 268 in 2010, and increased each year, reaching 573 in 2016, but dropping to 515 last year. Last October’s news reports describing poor treatment of donors after death also contributed to the decrease. Now the Ministry of Health and Welfare is drawing up legislative enforcement principles to be presented by April 3, which include funeral support and counseling for bereaved families of donors, designation of a “sharing life week,” and the setting up of a memorial park.

Article and photo by reporter Gu Jachang (critic@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)


Original Article in Korean:
“장기기증 등록절차, 국민 4명 중 3명 잘 모른다”: ㈔생명을나누는사람들 ‘나눔 포럼’… 부정적 이유는 전통적 가치관·홍보 부족 등


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KMC to Carry Out Organ Donation Pledge Campaign

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