The late Prof. Lee Ki-yong of the College of Law at Sungkyunkwan University, who lost his battle with cancer shortly after giving his last lecture of the semester.

A professor who was fighting cancer suddenly collapsed and died after giving his last lecture on Wednesday. Prof. Lee Ki-yong (50) of the College of Law at Sungkyunkwan University finished his last lecture of the semester before collapsing at 2:45 p.m. He was immediately taken to hospital but died shortly after. Prof. Lee had insisted he would undergo surgery only after finishing this semester’s lectures.

Lee was diagnosed with distal third rectal cancer two months ago but refused to stop lecturing in the middle of semester and go to hospital. He kept giving lectures while receiving radiation and other treatment as an outpatient.

Lee gave two lectures to undergraduates and one to graduate students per week. Students say he had completed a three-hour lecture right before he collapsed. The academic planned to get surgery at the end of this month. Prof. Park Gwang-min, one of Lee’s closest colleagues, said, “Although he was exhausted from treatment, Prof. Lee taught students passionately. It seems he lost the fight against cancer due to a workload that was too much for a cancer patient.”

Many students mourned his passing, and notes with fond memories of Lee are flooding the bulletin board of the Law College website. One student who took Lee’s last class said, “I can still remember when Prof. Lee said losing your health means losing everything. I am deeply sorry I won’t see him anymore.” Another student said, “He smiled even in the last class. I can’t believe he has died. I am very sorry and feel as if he died because of us.” The Law College at Sungkyunkwan University held a memorial ceremony on Friday at 10 a.m.

(englishnews@chosun.com )