Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Carries Forward the Value of Life Sharing – Hosting an International Discussion on Organ Donation and an Event Honoring Donors –

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the “2025 Korea-Japan International Symposium on Organ Donation” and the “Healing Night” event for organ donors and their families today (November 11) to promote the significance of organ donation and foster international consensus on the value of life sharing.

The two events aim to raise awareness of the importance of life sharing and to honor the noble spirit of donors. The City hosts the events, while the Korea Organ Donation Association (Chairman Kang Chi-young) serves as the organizer.

The symposium will begin at 2 p.m. at the City Hall International Conference Room under the theme “Current Status and Policies of Organ Donation by Local Governments in Korea and Japan.”
Experts from both countries will gather to discuss national policies, public perception, and ways to improve relevant systems.

The academic forum will be attended by Mayor Park Heong-joon, domestic and Japanese experts in organ donation, related organizations, officials from districts and counties, and members of the Life Sharing Supporters group — a total of around 100 participants.

In the keynote presentation, Kang Chi-young, Chairman of the Korea Organ Donation Association, will announce the results of the survey “Public Awareness on the Promotion of Organ Donation in 2025.”

The survey was conducted by the Korea Organ Donation Association from September 11 to October 2 on 1,400 citizens from both Korea (700) and Japan (700).
It examined public perception of various aspects of local government organ donation policies, including:

• ●Awareness of organ donation and brain death,

• ●Willingness to donate organs,

• ●Introduction and improvement of national policies,

• ●Organ donation education and related programs,

• ●The role of central and local governments in promoting organ donation.

Following the keynote presentation, a panel discussion on the survey results will be held.
The session will be chaired by Kim Soon-eun, President of the Korean Society for Organ Donation.
Panelists include Lee Hee-tae, Vice President for External Affairs at Silla University; Nitta Junichi, Director General of the Department of Welfare and Health, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan; and Cho Gyu-yul, Director General of the Citizens’ Health Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City.

Through this international academic forum, the City aims to re-examine the current understanding of organ donation policies in both Korea and Japan and to shed light on their broader impacts.
The symposium is expected to propose potential legal and institutional improvements as well as effective strategies for raising public awareness.

Later that day, at 6 p.m., the “Healing Night” event will take place at Lotte Hotel Busan for organ donors and their bereaved families.
Around 150 participants, including donors, their families, and other related guests, will attend the event to honor the noble intentions of the donors and express gratitude to their families.

The program will include the presentation of appreciation plaques to donors and their families, awards for contributors to the promotion of life-sharing culture, an organ donation pledge ceremony, poetry readings, and musical performances.
Participants will reflect on the meaning of donation and share moments of warmth and solidarity.

Meanwhile, the City has been implementing the initiative “A Healthier Busan, a New Life through the Promotion of Organ Donation” to enhance public understanding of organ and tissue donation and expand the culture of life sharing.
Busan Metropolitan City supports private organizations such as the Korea Organ Donation Association and carries out various awareness campaigns, including cultural and artistic activities such as the Life Sharing Concert and webtoon productions, as well as international symposiums and family invitation events.

In addition, the City launched the “Psychological Healing Support Program for Donors’ Families” last year — the first of its kind among local governments nationwide — and this year introduced the “Organ Donation Certificate Issuance System,” also a first in the country.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated,
“This symposium provides a meaningful opportunity for local governments in Korea and Japan to come together and explore new ways to expand the culture of life sharing.
Moving forward, Busan Metropolitan City will continue to strengthen respect for donors and carry out public awareness campaigns so that the spirit of life sharing can become an integral part of everyday life.”