{
  "id": 1839010,
  "title": "“Seeing Father Lee Tae-seok in the photo gives me strength.”\n\nThe first neurologist from South Sudan was born.\n\nOn the 15th, a graduation ceremony was held at the Catholic University of Sudan in Juba, South Sudan, for 29 medical students, including Dr. Achuil Lual Deng, the first neurologist in South Sudan.\n\nDr. Lual, who was born in 1986 in Malakal, South Sudan, said in an interview, “I was inspired by Father Lee Tae-seok, who devoted himself to the poor in Uganda and South Sudan.”\n\nHe continued, “I was in high school when I first met Father Lee, who was working as a doctor in Torit, Eastern Equatoria, South Sudan.\n\nAt that time, I was struggling with the idea of becoming a doctor, but seeing his devotion to the poor, I decided to become a doctor.”\n\nDr. Lual, who graduated from the Catholic University of Sudan with a degree in medicine in 2011, worked at the Juba Teaching Hospital and then moved to Australia to pursue his dream of becoming a neurologist.\n\nHe studied at the University of Adelaide in Australia and returned to South Sudan in 2022 after completing his studies.\n\nDr. Lual said, “I am very happy to be able to help my people.\n\nI am grateful to the Catholic Church and Catholic University of Sudan for giving me this opportunity.”\n\nBishop Thomas Mangold of the Catholic Diocese of Juba also expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am very grateful to Dr. Lual for his dedication to the people of South Sudan.”\n\nThe Catholic Diocese of Juba has been actively involved in the medical field in South Sudan, and in 2019, it established the Saint Theresa Hospital in Juba, with the support of the German Catholic Church.\n\nThe hospital provides medical services to local residents, and it also offers training and education for medical students.\n\nDr. Lual’s achievement is expected to have a significant impact on the medical field in South Sudan, where there is a severe shortage of medical professionals.\n\nThe country has a population of about 14 million people, but it only has about 100 doctors.\n\nIn particular, there are only two neurologists in the entire country, and Dr. Lual is the first neurologist from South Sudan.\n\nDr. Lual’s dream is to establish a rehabilitation center in Juba and to provide medical services to patients with neurological disorders.\n\nHe said, “I want to help my people recover from illness and return to their daily lives.”",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/story-1839010",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T23:05:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hankyoreh",
    "slug": "hankyoreh",
    "url": "https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/1273520.html"
  },
  "original_language": "ko",
  "account": null,
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}