Rev. Jin-Tak Park began his multi- decade work of promoting organ donation almost by chance. He believed in blood donation and had promoted it in Seoul, Korea, where he was born. After moving to Los Angeles in 1991, he met a Korean-American family whose father had been declared brain dead from an accident. The family wanted to donate his organs "for the sake of love." Inspired by this act, Rev. Park returned to Korea and established the Korea Organ Donor Program (KODP). He then donated his own kidney altruistically. "I served at the pleasure of God and the reward of letting me live a healthy and happy life for 50 years," Rev. Park recalled. Thanks to KODP and Rev. Park, some 3,000 people have received the gift of life, and Rev. Park remains a healthy advocate of donation.

Reverend's Story

Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Rev. Jin-Tak Park began working as a hospital chaplain for Useok University Medical Center after graduating from Hanshin University in 1963. Spending everyday with patients made him realize how blessed he was to have his health.

One day, an emergency patient was brought in who needed additional blood for surgery. Rev. Park gave his own blood - it was his first donation. Inspired by his experience, Rev. Park began campaigning for blood donations in 1968 because it was "right and necessary."

In 1984, Rev. Park immigrated to Los Angeles. He met a Korean-American family there whose father was brain dead, and the family had determined to donate his organs and to save others "for the sake of love."

Inspired by this experience, Rev. Park returned to Korea and began campaigning for organ donation, which did not exist at that time. On January 22, 1991, he established the Korea Organ Donor Program (KODP) and two days later, he donated one of his own kidneys altruistically.

"I served at the pleasure of God and the reward of letting me live a healthy and happy life for 50 years," he recalled. "Also, it was mental preparation for the campaign, which I wanted to spread with others to follow the example of my loving neighbor."

Rev. Park's story garnered a great deal of media attention. Twenty-three years later, KODP has grown to have has 60 workers in KODP and KODP branches working hard to save people in need. To date, around 3,000 people have received organ transplants.

Rev. Park has been healthy and worked hard for the many years since his kidney donation. Thanks to donors and families having shown unconditional love and support, he has stayed devoted to the promotion of organ donation.