Donated 700 Million Won from Shoe Shining to Overcome COVID-19... "I'm So Happy"

Reference photo. The photo is not related to any specific expressions in the article. [Source - Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] Mr. Kim Byung-rok, who donated land worth approximately 700 million won purchased with money earned from shining shoes for over 50 years to help people struggling due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), said, "I feel relieved and happy after making the donation public."

On the 16th, appearing on KBS Radio's 'Kim Kyung-rae's Strongest Current Affairs,' Mr. Kim said, "I fought for independence and even gave my life for the country, so in this crisis, as a citizen, I must naturally donate for the country."

Mr. Kim explained, "I persuaded my wife by saying that if I were a doctor, I would have rushed to the field, but all I have is land," adding, "At first, my wife cried and was upset, but she said, 'If you are comfortable and happy, I allow it with the feeling of giving up one of mine.'"

He continued, "I have told my children to think of their father's spirit of service and reputation as an inheritance, so they did not cling to it much and applauded me for doing well," adding, "They said they would earn money to give me an allowance, but I gained something more valuable."

When asked if he felt any regret, he replied, "For the first two or three days, part of me felt painful, thinking, 'How can you give away the money you earned?' but after overcoming that, I feel relieved."

Regarding the reason for deciding to donate, Mr. Kim explained, "I was born into a difficult family and started working at the age of 11. I attended a vocational school where I worked during the day and university students came at night to make me do tasks," adding, "I always had the mindset that someday I would become someone needed by society like those people."

He also emphasized, "Many people are suffering directly or indirectly due to COVID-19," and said, "I hope the donation will be used well and evenly for those in blind spots such as small merchants and daily wage workers."

Earlier, Mr. Kim recently donated 33,000㎡ of land in Majang-ri, Gwangtan-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province to the city of Paju. The current official land price of the land he donated is 242 million won, with a market value of about 700 million won. This is the largest amount donated by an individual to overcome the COVID-19 crisis so far.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.