Why an Octogenarian Sold the Watch Worn for 25 Years

Kwon Songsung Donates Fourth Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund
Sells Watch and Valuables to Generously Give 11.8 Million Won

Mother, Daughter of Emperor Gojong, Urges "Love the Nation"
Kwon Young-se: "Precious Intention... Will Use for Inter-Korean Peace"

Kwon Song-seong (82, left) visited the Government Seoul Office on the 7th and handed over 11.8 million won to Unification Minister Kwon Young-se to be used as a fund for inter-Korean cooperation.
Photo by Jang Hee-jun junh@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Around 5 p.m. on the 7th at the Government Seoul Office. An elderly man with white hair dressed in a black durumagi appeared. It was Kwon Song-seong (82), who served as chairman of Kukbo Design and Asia-Pacific Industrial Development and is known as a "living legend" in the construction industry. The place where the octogenarian stopped was the Ministry of Unification, where he was greeted by Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se.

The reason Kwon visited the Ministry of Unification was to donate funds supporting the improvement of inter-Korean relations. Since retirement, he had no significant income, so he sold his gold watch and ring, which he had carried for 25 years, to raise the donation. His left wrist, which he pointed to with a smile, was empty. Instead, he delivered 11.8 million won to the Ministry of Unification, filled with hopes for the improvement of inter-Korean relations.

Kwon said, "My mother always advised me to love the nation," adding, "The country is in a really difficult situation, and as a citizen, I could not just watch, so I prepared the donation." His mother is known as Mrs. Lee Mun-yong, a daughter of Emperor Gojong.

Minister Kwon responded, "Although inter-Korean relations are somewhat frozen, if relations improve, we will make good use of the precious intention you have given to the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund," and added, "Your interest and support for inter-Korean relations are a great strength in resolving the relations."

This is Kwon’s fourth donation to the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund. Previously, in 2000, he generously donated 10 million won wishing for the success of the inter-Korean summit, and in 2002, upon hearing the news that the two Koreas agreed to restore the Gyeongui Line railway severed by division, he donated another 10 million won. Kwon was the first to provide funds to the Ministry of Unification for connecting inter-Korean railways.

Later, in 2018, he donated 10 million won to the Ministry of Unification to support the connection of inter-Korean railways and roads through the Panmunjom Declaration, and on that occasion, he also participated as a representative of the people at the groundbreaking ceremony for the modernization and connection of the East and West Sea lines held at Kaesong Panmun Station in December of the same year.

Meanwhile, private donations to the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund began in 1992 with 65,310 won collected by students of Geonheung Elementary School in Sacheon City, Gyeongnam, who wanted to help North Korean residents. Additionally, a farmer sold seven sacks of rice he harvested and donated 1.05 million won, among other contributions, totaling 88 donations to date. The private contributions collected this way amount to 2.8 billion won.

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