A 16-year-old boy who moved to Korea from Mongolia with his parents 10 years ago and grew up here has passed away after gifting new life to five people.

The Korea Organ Donation Agency announced today (July 16) that Lee Tae-oh (Otgon Sanjmyatav), a Mongolian national, donated his heart, lungs, liver, and both kidneys to five patients at Korea University Guro Hospital on June 11.

Tae-oh was involved in a sudden traffic accident on June 3. Despite undergoing surgery and receiving treatment at the hospital, he failed to regain consciousness and fell into a state of brain death.

His family agreed to the organ donation, reflecting on Tae-oh’s character, as he was someone who always enjoyed helping and giving to others.

Born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in January 2010, Tae-oh came to Korea 10 years ago at the age of six.

Having attended kindergarten, elementary, and middle school in Korea, Tae-oh, who was a first-year high school student, considered Korea his home; he would cheer for Korea during soccer matches and could sing the national anthem naturally.

He was a bright and energetic student who enjoyed various sports and was nurturing a dream of starting his own business in Korea in the future.

Known for being considerate and sociable, he was popular among his peers and even served as his class president after entering high school.

About 100 friends and teachers visited his funeral to bid a tearful farewell to him on his final journey.

His mother, Lee Soon-yi, shared her final goodbye, saying, "I didn't just give love to Tae-oh; I was truly happy to have received so much love through him." She added, "In Mongolia, there is a saying that 'a soul that departs to the sky returns to the family's arms to be reborn.' I hope he will come back to our family someday."

(Photo: Yonhap News/Courtesy of Korea Organ Donation Agency)