Anchor: Dr. Kang Young-woo, who served the George W. Bush administration as a policy adviser for the U.S. National Council on Disability, recently sent out an e-mail bidding a final farewell to his loved ones. The visually impaired Korean American has been diagnosed with cancer and doctors say he doesn't have long to live.
Our Kim Soyon has the story.

Report: Sixty-eight-year old Dr. Kang Young-woo began his e-mail by saying time has passed so quickly.

Kang was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Doctors told him he maybe has a month or two to live. He checked out of the hospital last week to spend his remaining days with his wife. And he wrote the e-mail where he mentioned his gratitude for the time he has to bid farewell to his loved ones.

Kang lost his vision after he was hit hard by a soccer ball when he was in middle school. But he said that God made history in unimaginable terms through his blindness. He said the vision loss led him to study harder, even author books and meet precious people.

He met his wife 50 years ago as a student at the Seoul National School for the Blind where she was volunteering. Kang overcame his disability and graduated with honors from Yonsei University in Seoul. He then went to the U.S. in 1972 and received a doctorate degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education in Pennsylvania. He became the first visually impaired Korean to earn a doctorate degree.

Kang later served under the George W. Bush administration as a policy adviser for the U.S. National Council on Disability, and as vice chair of the World Committee on Disability. He contributed greatly to closing the information divide for the disabled.

In the e-mail, he expressed infinite gratitude for his wife and the pride he has in his two sons. One of his sons is a leading ophthalmologist in America and the other is a legal adviser to President Barack Obama.

Kang said he wants to continue making the world a better place but unfortunately he can no longer do so. In the e-mail that could be his last he gave thanks for his life that was filled with love and grace.

Kim Soyon, KBS World Radio News.