Almost half of Koreans are willing to donate their organs, but the actual registration rate remains low, a survey showed Monday.

According to a two-month survey conducted by the state-run Korean Network for Organ Sharing, 47.7 percent of some 1,000 respondents said they were interested in organ donation. The rest said they were not willing to do so.

Of those who expressed interest, only 15 percent were actually registered for organ donation. Over 40 percent said they were hesitant to make a move.

For those who did not have any interest in organ donation, indefinite fear was the largest factor at 46.5 percent, followed by reluctance to damage the body at 39.2 percent and the complicated registration process at 7.3 percent.

Almost half of those surveyed were not aware that the family’s consent is needed for organ donation.

The organ sharing agency suggested it was necessary to remove people’s fear of organ donation by raising a positive perception of it through the media. 

As of last year, some 160,000 Koreans registered for organ donation after death, up 82 percent year-on-year. While the number surged in 2009, it showed a gradual drop up until 2012.

The mobile registration system for organ donation contributed to the recent increase, observers said.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)