SEOUL – Kim Seon-ho, a 20-year-old South Korean student with spinal muscular atrophy, is pursuing his dream of becoming a webtoon artist using eye-tracking technology. He demonstrated the technology at a special graduation and entrance ceremony held at Gangnam Severance Hospital in Seoul on February 25, 2026.
Diagnosed shortly after birth with spinal muscular atrophy type 1, a rare hereditary disease that causes muscle atrophy due to nerve cell problems, Kim relies on a ventilator 24 hours a day. The disease can lead to paralysis of respiratory muscles and, death. He began experiencing symptoms of pneumonia around four to five months old, enduring repeated respiratory arrests and frequent emergency room visits before receiving a definitive diagnosis through genetic testing.
Despite his physical limitations, Kim is studying in the Department of Cartoon, Game and Video at Yewon Arts University. He utilizes an eye mouse – a computer interface controlled by pupil movement – to create digital art and communicate. He described the process of typing as laborious, taking over ten minutes to compose a single sentence.
Kim recently completed his first webtoon, titled “It’s Strange, but I Must Live,” in collaboration with his mother, Kim Yeon-jung, 55. The one-act story depicts a character taking a job at a hospital to support their struggling parents. Kim’s mother, an artist herself, provided initial sketches, although Kim added color, dialogue and revisions. The 87-panel webtoon took six months to complete.
The graduation and entrance ceremony recognized four graduates and one new student facing rare incurable diseases. The event was hosted by the Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation, which has supported the establishment of a Respiratory Rehabilitation Center at Gangnam Severance Hospital since 2008. The foundation has provided specialized hospital rooms and medical management systems to 16,855 patients with neuromuscular diseases.
“I was deeply moved by seeing patients who achieved amazing achievements even while fighting difficult diseases,” said Jeong Woo-cheol, executive director of the Life Insurance Foundation.
Meanwhile, Byun Woo Seok’s fans recently donated 10 million KRW (approximately $7,000 USD) to Severance Hospital, following the actor’s own 100 million KRW donation earlier in January 2026 for the treatment of pediatric and adolescent patients. The fan donation will be used to support medical expenses for elderly patients and medically vulnerable groups, according to a statement from the hospital.
Kim Seon-ho, through the employ of assistive technology, continues to pursue his education and artistic ambitions, expressing his desire to graduate in good health and establish a career as a webtoon writer.
