ANN ARBOR—Byung Soo Kim, a University of Michigan student and a native of South Korea, died at about 6 a.m. today (Nov. 13) after consuming a large quantity of alcohol Friday night (Nov. 10).

His parents, Ha Young Kim, M.D., and Jung Sun Park, M.D., issued a statement in which they asked the community to remember their son as “selfless, supportive, considerate, loving and kind.” “He had brought great joy to us and was a loyal friend to many,” they said.

“We would like to emphasize that this incident does not represent our son’s usual behavior; he did not drink regularly and according to his friends was often the one to take care of friends who had had too much to drink.

“It is our heartfelt desire that the entire community can learn a lesson from this tragedy and reach out to those who need help.”

Details of the events which led to Kim’s death are under investigation by the Ann Arbor police. Reports indicate that Kim, a sophomore in engineering,
Washtenaw County Medical Examiner Bader Cassin has not issued an official cause of death, but he noted said that Kim had a blood-alcohol content of .39, an extremely dangerous and toxic level.

“We are here for a tragic and heartbreaking purpose,” U-M Provost Nancy Cantor said at a news conference. “Our community is in grieving over this terrible occurrence. At this time our greatest concern is for Mr. Kim’s family and for our student community, including those many students who spent the weekend at the hospital watching over him and praying that he would pull through.”

Cantor encouraged students and other community members who are feeling distress to seek out counseling or other campus and community resources available for support. These include U-M Counseling and Psychological Services, (734) 764-8312; the International Center, (734) 764-9310; and pastors and churches in the Korean religious community.

Cantor said the U-M, like other universities, has struggled with the problem of student drinking and has attempted many educational efforts aimed at reducing risky drinking behavior among students. These include alcohol-related discussions at orientation, peer education programs, poster campaigns, and a number of initiatives in the residence halls and in the Greek system.

(As part of U-M programs and interventions on alcohol and substance abuse, a study on student drinking behavior was conducted at the University last year.)

“It has been hard to measure how effective such programs have been,” she said. “The one thing that is clear is that this is a very complex problem, and one that must be addressed with sustained efforts from multiple directions over a long period of time. We need the support of all members of our community—faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, health care providers, law enforcement agencies, businesses, and the media—if we are to make any progress.”

E. Royster Harper, vice president for student affairs, called the decision to drink excessively a “life-altering decision.” “We have focused our efforts over the years on helping students understand how their choices to drink excessively affect not only themselves, but the entire community,” she said. “It makes me feel incredibly sad, and frustrated, that we are here together today to talk about how deadly this decision about alcohol can be.”

Dr. Kim and Dr. Park described their son as a “sincere, diligent student” who was “passionate about helping others and hoped to one day use his gifts for that purpose.” He also was proud of his Korean heritage, they said, and was an active participant in Korean traditional music ensembles and the Korean International Student Association. The family hopes to establish a fund in Kim’s memory that will serve international students with education and assistance on substance issues.

A memorial service for Kim has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 14) at First Congregational Church, 608 East William, Ann Arbor, with viewing at 8 p.m. at the church. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Muehlig Funeral Chapel in Ann Arbor.

statementCounseling and Psychological Serviceseducational effortsstudy on student drinking behavior