Participants at an event in Seoul on Dec. 4, 2016, for families of organ donors attach paper butterflies, their symbol, to a wall. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Starting next year, family members of organ donors and recipients will be able to communicate online.
The Korea Organ Donation Agency announced that it will begin an online letter exchange program between family members of the organ donor and the recipient on Monday.
In the past, South Korea banned family members of the donor and the recipient from communicating to prevent unnecessary complications.
Family members of organ donors had been asking authorities to at least allow an exchange of letters to wish for the recipient’s healthy recovery.
The letter exchange program will go through a one-year trial period at nine hospitals specializing in organ transplants.
The agency will then make improvements to the program to set up an operational manual for the mailboxes and expand the program to cover all hospitals by 2023.
Family members of organ donors and recipients will be able to exchange emails through the agency’s official website.
“I believe it is our duty to connect the hearts of good people,” said Moon In-sung, President of the Korean Organ Donation Agency.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
