Why Son Heung-min can’t donate blood in Korea

The reluctance of individuals to consume seafood due to concerns about contaminated water has markedly diminished. This shift appears to stem from a growing acceptance of factual information, with research teams from the U.S., Britain, and Australia consistently publishing findings in esteemed international academic journals such as Science. These studies assert that contaminated water is unlikely to impact the human body adversely. Furthermore, the opposition party’s skepticism regarding the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) declaration that the risk level is below international standards is losing traction. Observing the bustling fish market, I reflected on the gradual recovery of our society from the distress associated with contaminated water.

Nevertheless, numerous domains remain where ghost stories continue to exert their influence. A notable illustration is the blood management regulations that emerged as a response to heightened anxieties surrounding ‘Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD),’ colloquially referred to as ‘human mad cow disease.’

According to government regulations, individuals who have resided in the U.K. for over three months (since 1997) or more than one month (from 1980 to 1996) are ineligible to donate blood in Korea. The same restriction applies to those who have spent a cumulative total of five years or more in European countries, including France. This policy has significant implications for numerous students studying abroad in the U.K., long-term travelers, and even prominent figures, such as Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan, currently playing in the English Premier League, as well as former players including Park Ji-sung and Ki Sung-yueng, preventing them from donating blood in Korea for the entirety of their lives.

The burden of overly stringent regulations disproportionately affects the sick's health. Persistent blood shortages are exacerbating difficulties in obtaining crucial medical care, leading to what seems to be an enduring issue. Specifically, the shortage of immunoglobulin, a vital blood product, is contributing to the precarious situation of essential medications for pediatric and critically ill patients, including those with pediatric Kawasaki disease and post-transplant immunodeficiency. Reports indicate that medical facilities such as Seoul National University Hospital, which caters to many seriously ill patients, are frequently concerned about potential interruptions in treatment.

Considering the perspectives of both domestic and international experts, it is reasonable to assert that the risk of spreading mad cow disease through blood donation has significantly diminished. According to research conducted by Australian and British scholars, the likelihood of contracting variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) through a blood transfusion from a British resident is estimated at one in 1.45 billion. Countries such as the U.S., Australia, and Hong Kong have taken steps to either delete or relax related regulations over the past year, guided by scientific evidence, to address blood shortage concerns. However, Korean blood management authorities appear hesitant to actively revise regulations, expressing apprehensions about a potential recurrence of the mad cow disease controversy.

Many individuals who encountered various unsettling narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic are now actively seeking factual information to form their own informed decisions. This shift in approach may explain the change in the opposition party’s stance, which previously aimed to prolong the ‘Fukushima contaminated water issue’ until the upcoming general elections in April. We must prevent the deterioration of essential medical facilities, learning from the painful memories of the mad cow disease controversy 15 years ago. In the context of blood donation regulations, the time has come to courageously engage the public by presenting persuasive arguments based on scientific evidence, moving away from a stance resembling, “I can’t make soy sauce because I’m afraid of maggots.”