According to navy sources, seaman Lee Seung-min underwent surgery to give part of a kidney to his father, armorer Lee Ho-keun, on the 24th. Armorer Lee has been serving in the same unit as his son since early this year and was suffering from terminal stage chronic renal failure due to complications caused by diabetes.

Armorer Lee had been suffering from these complications for the past 15 years and was diagnosed with terminal renal failure last July. Since then, he had been undergoing aggressive treatment, including blood and peritoneum dialysis three times a week, and reached a stage at which a kidney transplant was the only remedy against life-long blood dialysis.

Seaman Lee joined the navy last March, following in the footsteps of his father, who has been serving in the navy since his inauguration as sergeant in 1982. Upon learning of his father’s condition, he made the decision to give him part of one of his kidneys and had blood testing done in preparation for the procedure last August.

Both father and son are currently recovering from the operation, which lasted for over four hours on September 24. Seaman Lee was released from the hospital October 2 and is waiting for the doctor to pronounce his complete recovery. He said, “I visited my father many times a day and hope he will also recover as quickly as possible in order for him to return to his unit so that we can serve in the same unit.”

(englishnews@chosun.com )