Washington University in St. Louis senior Yongsang Soh died Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013. He was 22.
Soh is being remembered by WUSTL staff and faculty as a gifted student with an upbeat personality and a warm sense of humor.
“Yongsang was the person who made our class joyful,” said Insung Ko, East Asian languages and cultures lecturer. “His classmates loved talking and listening to him. He talked seriously about various topics such as culture, value and current issues in Korea, offering his own criticism and suggestions. But he also had a humorous touch that made us laugh.”
Soh was from Seoul, South Korea, and was a student in Arts & Sciences majoring in philosophy, neuroscience and psychology.
The university community is invited to celebrate Soh’s life during a memorial service at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, in the Women’s Building Formal Lounge.
Known by friends as “Young,” Soh had a positive attitude and loved watching Cardinals baseball, said international student adviser Martha Turner, director of International Students and Scholars Advising. Soh was a member of the Korean Undergraduate Business Association, a part of the Korean International Student Society.
“He was a really sweet young man, polite and always happy and upbeat, even when dealing with the hassles that immigration paperwork can involve,” Turner said. “I feel so lucky to have known him.”
Vice Chancellor for Students Sharon Stahl, PhD, said the community’s thoughts are with Soh’s family as well as his fellow students from South Korea.
“The Washington University community has lost a member of our community. And though our community is family, we cannot begin to understand the loss his family feels,” Stahl said.
“This is also difficult for the Korean student community. They are far away from home, and we hope that they feel the caring and concern that the entire community has for them. I know that they are supporting each other, but they also have the support of all of us.”
In honor of Soh, the university flag on Brookings Hall will be flown at half-staff beginning the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 1, until early Monday, Nov. 4.