An illegal Myanmar worker who suffered a fatal fall at a construction site in South Korea while fleeing immigration police saved two lives after his family agreed to donate his organs, the Myanmar labour attaché in Seoul, South Korea, said. 

“The father decided to donate his son’s organs when I told him about the family of another migrant worker who donated his organs to save four Korean lives,” said labour attaché U Kyaw Naing Soe. 

Ko Than Zaw Htay, 26, fell from a construction site on August 22 while trying to escape from South Korean police who were chasing illegal workers. U Kyaw Naing Soe said the victim fell from the second floor of a building under construction. 

He suffered head injuries and underwent treatment for two weeks before the hospital declared him brain-dead on Thursday.

The family of the worker agreed to donate his kidney and liver to two South Korean patients.  

Ko Than Zaw Htay had worked legally at the construction site for nearly five years, but his contract recently expired and he continued working there. 

Four other Myanmar migrants working at the construction site were arrested and will be deported for violating South Korean immigration law, U Kyaw Naing Soe said. “All workers should live here legally,” he said. 

Earlier in the year, the family of Myanmar migrant worker Ko Win Htut Zaw, 44, who suffered a fatal accident while working at a factory, donated his liver, heart and kidneys to save the lives of four South Korean patients. 

The Korean Association in Myanmar established the Ko Win Htut Zaw Scholarship Foundation in Myanmar in July to pay for the education of 21 students in memory of his heroism. 

Over 30,000 Myanmar migrant workers work in South Korea under an Employment Permit System agreed to by Myanmar and South Korea.

Up to 1000 Myanmar nationals go to South Korea monthly to work, and 30,000 Myanmar people who want to work there take the Korean Language Test every year.

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