Woman, 55, who collapsed on Vietnam trip donates organs to three
In short
A 55-year-old South Korean woman, Ku Jin-hui, collapsed with a brain hemorrhage while traveling in Vietnam with her daughter on Sept. 12 and was later declared brain dead. The Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency said she donated her liver and both kidneys to three patients at Kosin University Gospel Hospital on Sept. 18, following a wish she had expressed to her family. The case was reported by national outlets on Oct. 7.
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A 55-year-old South Korean woman who was declared brain dead after collapsing on a trip to Vietnam donated her liver and both kidneys to three patients, the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency said, according to Dong-A Ilbo. The agency said the donation by Ku Jin-hui took place on Sept. 18 at Kosin University Gospel Hospital and was made public on Oct. 7. Newsis and Korea Economic Daily also reported the case that morning. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
According to Dong-A Ilbo, Ku was traveling with her daughter when she suddenly showed signs of breathing difficulty and collapsed from a brain hemorrhage on Sept. 12. She was taken to a local hospital but did not regain consciousness, and was later moved to a hospital in South Korea, where she was declared brain dead after failing to recover. [ 2 , 4 ]
Her family decided to follow a donation wish Ku had expressed during her life. Her husband, Kim Gi-seon, said: “My wife and I used to talk about how donating at the last moment would be a good thing.” He said their daughters had heard the same from their mother, so the family chose to honour her wishes. Kim added that his own mother donated her body after her death in 2021, which he said influenced Ku and the family. [ 2 , 4 ]
The agency's announcement is the only institutional statement in the reports, and it gives no further detail on the recipients. The documents do not name the Vietnamese city or the local hospital where Ku was first treated. [ 2 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The case publicises brain-death organ donation in South Korea through a family account of a decision made after a death abroad. For readers it is mainly a human-interest story about donation and bereavement, with the agency announcement as the only institutional element.
Key facts
- Ku Jin-hui, 55, was declared brain dead and donated her liver and both kidneys to three patients. [ 2 , 4 ]
- She collapsed on Sept. 12 with a brain hemorrhage while traveling in Vietnam with her daughter. [ 2 , 4 ]
- She was taken to a local hospital, did not regain consciousness and was moved to a hospital in South Korea. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The donation took place on Sept. 18 at Kosin University Gospel Hospital, the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency said. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Her family followed a donation wish she had expressed during her life. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Her husband, Kim Gi-seon, said the couple had talked about donating organs at the end of life. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Kim said his mother donated her body after her death in 2021, which influenced the family. [ 2 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Where in Vietnam Ku fell ill and which local hospital treated her. The documents say only that she was taken to a local hospital and later moved to a hospital in South Korea; no place or hospital name is given.
- Details of the case from Korea Economic Daily beyond its headline framing. The article text available from that outlet covered other organ-donation cases rather than this one, so no additional specifics can be drawn from it.
- Ku Jin-hui, 55, donated her liver and both kidneys to three patients after being declared brain dead. Reported by a single source so far
- She collapsed with a brain hemorrhage on Sept. 12 while traveling in Vietnam with her daughter. Reported by a single source so far
- The donation took place on Sept. 18 at Kosin University Gospel Hospital and was announced on Oct. 7. Reported by a single source so far
- The family decided to follow a donation wish Ku had stated during her life. Reported by a single source so far
- Her husband Kim Gi-seon said the couple had discussed donating at the end of life. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis publishes a report on the case of a woman who collapsed on an overseas trip with her daughter, was declared brain dead and gave “new life” to three people. [ 1 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency announcement, including the Sept. 12 collapse in Vietnam and the Sept. 18 donation. [ 2 ]
- Korea Economic Daily publishes its report that the woman who collapsed on a Vietnam trip gave new life to three people. [ 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo follows with a second report carrying the same agency announcement and family statements. [ 4 ]