"Too Precious Even for Mealtime, Only Raw Ramen..." The Lament of Late Ju Seokjung's Son

Juhyunyoung, on behalf of the bereaved family, thanks mourners
"Funeral well completed... sorting through numerous soups among belongings"
"Recalling father who gave his all with utmost dedication"

On the 16th, Joo Hyun-young, the son of the late Professor Joo Seok-jung of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Seoul Asan Medical Center, who passed away in an unexpected traffic accident, expressed gratitude to the mourners on behalf of the bereaved family.

On the 16th, Joo Hyun-young, the son of the late Professor Joo Seok-jung of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Seoul Asan Medical Center, who passed away in an unexpected traffic accident, expressed gratitude to the mourners on behalf of the bereaved family.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Former President Roh Hwan-kyu of the Korean Medical Association posted a thank-you message from Joo Hyun-young to the mourners on Facebook on the 26th.

Joo Hyun-young said, "Thanks to your warm comfort and encouragement, we were able to complete my father's funeral safely. It was an unimaginable farewell that no one expected, and it was indescribably sad and heartbreaking, but so many people came to talk about what kind of person my father was and offered sincere condolences, which gave great strength to our family."

He continued, "A few days after the funeral, I went to the laboratory to organize my father's belongings. Under the desk, there were boxes scattered with discarded ramen soup packets," adding, "I thought he might have been too busy to have proper meals or even felt that taking time to eat was a waste, so he brought raw ramen noodles from the medical office across the lab, crushed only the noodles, and left the soup packets discarded like that."

He said, "It was so heartbreaking to feel my father's usual self, who devoted himself wholeheartedly only to seeing patients and research, neglecting his own health."

He also recalled, "On the first day my father's funeral was held, a young couple came in tears. They had been transferred between several hospitals due to sudden aortic dissection, but everyone avoided the difficult surgery, so they were preparing themselves mentally. They said my father performed the surgery and gave new life, and they were very saddened and heartbroken," adding, "I remembered my father's words: 'No matter how risky the surgery is, if I think that if I don't operate on that patient, they will die, then I have to take responsibility. What does probability or data matter?'"

Furthermore, he said, "Many people remembered my father as someone with a warmer and purer heart than anyone else. I will engrave the image and way of life of my father that you remembered in my heart and try to live at least half as well as he did, though I am lacking," and added, "Once again, I deeply thank you for your precious visit to see my father off and comfort us."

On the morning of the 20th, a funeral service for the late Professor Joo Seok-jung of the Asan Medical Center's Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery was held at the Seoul Asan Medical Center funeral hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Professor Joo Seok-jung died around 1:20 p.m. on the 16th after being hit by a right-turning dump truck while crossing a crosswalk on a bicycle at the intersection in front of the Family Town apartment in Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul Asan Medical Center.

The late professor specialized in thoracic surgery, a field known as one of the most avoided specialties, and was especially active in the aortic field, which often requires emergency surgery, saving numerous patients. He served as an executive director of the Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, chairman of the Aortic Research Society, and director of the Aortic Disease Center at Seoul Asan Medical Center Heart Hospital. He was recognized as an authority in aortic diseases through his active work in both research and clinical practice.

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