"Used to be 10 calls a day... Order calls flooded in" Wave of 'Donzzul Support' for Pizza Good Deed

Photo by SBS Broadcast News Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] The heartwarming act of a pizza and chicken specialty store owner, who gifted pizza along with a warm message to a single-parent family facing financial difficulties, has been revealed, prompting a wave of support predicting a "donjjul" (a portmanteau of money and reprimand) for the owner.

On the 12th, SBS reported the story of Mr. A, a father who lost his job due to COVID-19 and faced economic hardship. Mr. A, who was raising his young daughter alone, found it difficult to find a new job, and expenses increased as his daughter suffered from a skin disease.

As his daughter's birthday approached, she wished to eat cake, pizza, and chicken, but Mr. A had only 571 won in his possession. He reached out to a pizza place he had ordered from several times before, explaining his situation and leaving a message saying, "I am raising my 7-year-old daughter alone and currently have no money, so I am asking for your help. I will pay you back on the day I receive basic living expenses. I promise."

Shortly after, a pizza box arrived with a note saying, "Please don't feel burdened, and contact us again if your child wants to eat more."

Mr. A recalled, "I was happy. All dads feel good just by seeing food. I was overwhelmed with emotion," adding, "This will be a memory I will cherish for life. I will live diligently."

As news of the owner's kindness spread, online communities were flooded with messages supporting the owner. On the store’s website and app reviews, many posts predicted a "donjjul" for the owner. Comments such as "Thanks to the owner, I was happy too," "Get ready for donjjul, owner," and "There are still people like this in the world these days. You will be very successful," continued without pause.

Citizens cheering with a 'Donzzul' preview. Photo by Jinseong Hwang, store homepage capture

The protagonist who showed this warm goodwill that moved everyone to tears is 32-year-old young man Hwang Jinseong. In an interview with SBS, Hwang explained, "The moment I saw the order, I just thought I had to give it," and said he changed the application order from "pay by card upon meeting" to "payment completed" on the receipt and included cheese balls as a service. He said, "I didn’t think it was a big deal," and "I wanted to make it delicious for them."

Regarding the situation after the broadcast, Hwang told Yonhap News in an interview, "Usually, I get about 10 calls a day at most, but since yesterday, calls have been pouring in, so I feel very overwhelmed," and he was reported to have smiled brightly, saying, "I had to prepare a lot of vegetables from the morning, so I came out early."

To Mr. A’s family, he emphasized again, "I hope you always stay healthy, and I hope we all stay strong during these difficult times. Please contact me if your daughter wants to eat more. Also," he added. Regarding the drawing gift from Mr. A’s daughter, he expressed gratitude, saying, "This is the first time I’ve received something like this. I am actually more thankful and don’t know how to express it."

On the 13th, during a phone call with reporters, Hwang Jinseong also conveyed a pleasant message of understanding, saying, "Currently, orders are very backed up, so it is difficult to take calls."

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