'Korea's First Liver Transplant Surgery' Professor Emeritus Kim Su-tae Passes Away

Passed Away at the Age of 95
Successfully Performed Korea's First Liver Transplant Surgery

Professor Emeritus Kim Su-tae, a surgeon at Seoul National University Hospital who successfully performed the first liver transplant surgery in Korea, passed away on the 4th at the age of 95.

Kim Su-tae, Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University College of Medicine. Yonhap News

Graduating from Seoul National University College of Medicine in 1952, he performed the first liver transplant in Korea on March 17, 1988, while serving as a professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine. At that time, he transplanted a liver from a brain-dead donor to a 14-year-old patient suffering from Wilson's disease. In 2018, this patient earned the title of the longest surviving liver transplant recipient in Korea.

At an event held by Seoul National University Hospital in 2018 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first successful liver transplant in Korea, he said, "The determination to succeed despite the poor conditions at the time was the source of success," and encouraged junior doctors by saying, "I hope you contribute to the advancement of Korean medicine through continuous challenges and efforts."

He was recognized for his contributions to the development of organ transplantation in Korea and received several awards, including the Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit in 1995, the Sungkok Academic and Cultural Award in 2000, and the Seongsan Jang Gi-ryeo Award in 2006. In 2001, he also served as the inaugural Honorary President of the Asian Transplantation Society.

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