"Life Is a Tunnel, Not a Cave," Professor Lee Ji-seon

CBS 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' Appearance
"I am someone who has parted well with accidents
'Survive Today' is my life goal"

"It was something that could happen to anyone, and it just happened to me. I went through it, but I will live again. I decided to live, and since living is a good thing, I will live... That was the focus of my life."

Professor Lee Ji-seon of Ewha Womans University, who overcame the pain of suffering full-body burns in a seven-car pileup caused by a drunk driver, shared her philosophy of life, offering hope and inspiration.

Instructor Lee Ji-seon

On that morning, Professor Lee appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" and responded to the host's question, "How did you, as a university student at the time, come to terms with the fact that you suffered full-body burns, including your face, without any fault of your own?" with the above statement.

When asked, "You define yourself as 'someone who parted well with the accident.' What does that mean?" she said, "The common expression 'to have an accident' seemed to define me as a victim of a drunk driving traffic accident. So I started to say I 'met' the accident, and from that moment, I thought about parting ways with the accident," adding, "Unfortunate events can never be good things. What matters is the attitude of the heart that tries to draw out something good from those unfortunate events. It is important to extract a positive meaning."

"Every time I faced life's ups and downs, I remembered the help of those around me," she said, "My life felt like a cave, and there were very despairing moments when it seemed completely dark. Thanks to the people who held my hand and helped me get back up at those moments, I survived and realized that life was not a cave but a tunnel. The end of the tunnel will be quite a good happy ending."

Professor Lee Ji-seon has been teaching at her alma mater, Ewha Womans University, since the 1st of this month. Majoring in Early Childhood Education, she joined as a professor in the Department of Social Welfare. On the broadcast, she revealed, "It was something I had wished for so much that I couldn't even say it out loud, but now that it has come true, I am very grateful. I actually cried."

She also said, "If you look too far ahead in life, especially during difficult times, you get exhausted. From then on, I thought, 'Let's live today,' and 'Let's live through this day that has come like a miracle,' and that remains my goal in life."

In 2000, when she was a senior at Ewha Womans University, after finishing studying at the school library and on her way home in her brother's car, she suffered third-degree burns over 55% of her body in a seven-car pileup caused by a drunk driver. The burns were so severe that they were unprecedented, but she overcame more than 30 surgeries and rehabilitation treatments.

Afterward, she graduated from the Department of Early Childhood Education and went to study abroad in the United States, earning a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Boston University, a master's degree in Social Welfare from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from UCLA. After returning to Korea, she has been teaching students as a professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Social Welfare at Handong Global University since 2017.

She has received numerous awards, including the 1st Candle Day Candlelight Award in 2003, being selected as one of the 100 People Who Brightened the World in 2007, and the Young Leader Award at the 8th Korean Women Leaders Awards in 2010. Professor Lee also published an essay titled "Jiseon, I Love You," which chronicles her rehabilitation process and has inspired many people.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.