John Lee Tae-seok
Father John Lee Tae-seok (October 17, 1962 – January 14, 2010) was a South Korean Catholic missionary priest, teacher, architect, doctor, and brass band conductor.[1][2]
Father John Lee Tae-seok M.D. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Lee Tae-seok October 17, 1962 Busan, South Korea |
| Died | January 14, 2010 (aged 47) Seoul, South Korea |
| Burial place | Damyang, South Jeolla, South Korea 35.370728°N 126.965663°E |
| Known for | Volunteer work in South Sudan |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이태석 요한 |
| Hanja | 李泰錫 요한 |
| Revised Romanization | I Tae-seok Yohan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ri T'ae-sŏk Yohan |
Education and military service
He studied medicine at Inje University, graduating in 1987,[3] before joining the Korean military where he worked as a medical officer.[3][4]
In 1992 he graduated in theology at Gwangju Catholic University.[1][3]
Career
After becoming ordained as a Catholic priest in June 2001, Tae-seok headed to Tonj, South Sudan[3] where he established a school, a medical clinic, and a brass band. He also dug a well and cultivated crops.[1] The medical clinic treated around 300 patients per day.[1]
Death
After developing colon cancer, he returned to Korea in 2008, and died in January 2010, aged 48.
Legacy
His work is featured in the 2010 film Don’t Cry for Me, Sudan.[6]
His medical clinic continues under the leadership of his former student, Dr. Thomas Taban Akot.[3]
He is the first foreigner to feature in South Sudanese school text books as a result of volunteer work.[1]
The 35-member brass band's work continues and visited his grave in 2012.[1]
The Lee Tae-seok Love Sharing foundation was created in 2012 and renamed to the Lee Tae-seok Foundation in 2020.[7] On 2 April 2020 it was formally registered as an NGO in South Sudan.[7]
References
- "South Sudanese textbooks to narrate revered Korean priest". koreatimes. 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- AsiaNews.it. "Sudan, the story of a Korean missionary ends up in school books". www.asianews.it. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- "[Interview] South Sudanese medical student honors S. Korean priest who inspired him". english.hani.co.kr. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- "Sudanese medical student, disciple of revered Korean priest, becomes doctor in Korea". koreatimes. 2018-12-24. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- "Revered priest comes from South Sudan to Korea". english.hani.co.kr. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- "'Don't Cry for Me, Sudan' follow-up set for release in next month". Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- "이태석 재단". www.smiletonj.org (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-02-05.