"An Angel Like This in the World!"... Anonymous 70-Year-Old Pledges Support to 25 Families in Seodaemun-gu

Expressing intention to participate in 'Seodaemun-gu 100 Families Support'... Monthly donation of 6.4 million won to elderly living alone, single-parent, and general low-income families

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) announced on the 8th that a man in his 70s has extended a helping hand of hope to vulnerable neighbors facing economic difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a role model in the community.

The donor, who wished to remain anonymous, will support 25 households with a total of 6.4 million KRW monthly for one year starting this month through the ‘Seodaemun-gu 100 Families Embrace Project.’

Twenty households (Nos. 638 to 657) will receive new support.

Additionally, five households (Nos. 479, 550, 559, 578, 588) will continue to receive support, although their sponsors will change.

Among them are four elderly single-person households, 13 single-parent households, and eight general low-income households who are in urgent need but do not qualify for public assistance due to lack of legal requirements.

Included are residents who cannot work due to chronic illnesses and lack funds for their children's education, as well as residents living alone after the death of a spouse who require hospital medical expenses.

A district official stated, “The donor wanted to help neighbors who have become even more vulnerable amid the COVID-19 situation. Although not a resident of Seodaemun-gu, he learned about the ‘100 Families Embrace Project’ through his family living in Bukahyeon-dong and sympathized with the purpose of the project, which led to his decision to donate.”

The ‘100 Families Embrace Project’ is a unique Seodaemun-gu sharing initiative that connects single-parent, grandparent-headed, youth, multicultural, and elderly single-person households in welfare blind spots with local residents, religious organizations, and businesses to receive continuous support.

Since its launch in January 2011, the project has established partnerships with 657 households and accumulated support funds exceeding 3.6 billion KRW.

In addition to financial support for living expenses, medical costs, and education fees, professional case managers provide systematic welfare services to comprehensively resolve underlying issues in each household and help them achieve self-reliance.

All sponsorship funds are transferred via automatic payment through the Community Chest of Korea directly to the beneficiary households, ensuring transparency throughout the process.

When local community centers, welfare agencies, schools, or neighbors recommend struggling neighbors and students, the district reviews the cases, and they may become beneficiaries of the ‘100 Families Embrace Project.’

Seodaemun-gu Mayor Moon Seok-jin expressed gratitude to the donor, saying, “This will be a great help for neighbors and students who are struggling even more due to COVID-19 to recover physically and mentally and continue their studies.”

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