Seoul Jung-gu Office Environmental Officer Donates 21 Million Won Collected from 100-Won Coins

Annual December Piggy Bank Opening Tradition of Environmental Officials Union

Since 2014, collecting over 6.2 million won in coins to contribute to environmental workers' donations, totaling more than 21 million won donated as charity for neighbors in need

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] # At 5:30 a.m., A, an environmental worker (formerly known as a street cleaner) cleaning Euljiro, swept the street with a large broom and picked up a dented silver 100-won coin, putting it into his work uniform pocket. After finishing the early morning work and returning to the workers' break room, he immediately put the 100-won coin into the piggy bank located at the entrance of the break room. The piggy bank felt heavy, as other cleaners who finished work earlier than A had also put coins in it.

The environmental workers of Jung-gu District Office in Seoul attracted attention by delivering 860,000 won in coins collected from the streets during their work and an additional 2.07 million won from their own money to District Mayor Kim Gil-sung on the 28th as a donation for neighbors in need. They had also donated 1.08 million won to Mayor Kim during the environmental workers' autumn unity event on October 14.

They started collecting coins from the streets in 2014.

Environmental workers, who usually start work by 5 a.m., clean major streets in Jung-gu three times daily: from 5:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Responsible for the safe hygiene of citizens on their way to work, they put all their effort into cleaning from early morning and often find 100-won coins while sweeping with their brooms. However, since the coins are small in value and often dented from being stepped on, most environmental workers considered them trash and put them directly into their work bags.

But some workers, feeling the coins were too valuable to waste, collected them after work and used them to buy simple snacks from coffee vending machines in the break room. Some even placed change received after lunch on the shoe rack at the break room entrance.

One day, an environmental worker who saw the pile of coins on the shoe rack came up with an idea: what if they collected these coins and donated them as charity for neighbors in need at the end of the year?

At first, no one paid much attention, thinking the amount collected would be insignificant.

However, Jo Heung-rae, head of the Jung-gu branch of the environmental workers' union, thought differently.

"Just as a stream becomes a river, each coin may be small change, but if collected, it could become a large sum. And I thought it would be more meaningful to use the money for a better cause than just buying snacks."

He also recalled a few years ago when sanitation workers responsible for cleaning the Jung-gu District Office building separately collected recyclables from each office, sold them, and donated the proceeds to the Community Chest of Korea at year-end, which had attracted attention.

Jo Heung-rae called the environmental workers' team leaders by district and shared his idea. The team leaders agreed with the union head's opinion to use the money for a good cause, and soon piggy banks were placed in five workers' break rooms.

No environmental worker opposed collecting coins previously used for snacks to help neighbors in need. On the contrary, many were eager to actively participate.

Thus, environmental workers developed a habit of carefully looking for coins while cleaning the streets. They found coins scattered in places that were hard to notice at a glance. Despite the prevalence of mobile payments and less cash usage, surprisingly many coins were discarded on major streets.

After work, the collected coins were put into the piggy banks in the break rooms. The sound of coins clinking brought a refreshing feeling to the tired bodies and minds of the workers.

Every mid-December, opening the piggy banks collected over the year at the union office has become a new tradition of the Jung-gu branch of the environmental workers' union. On this day, not only the union head but also the team leaders gather to count the coins one by one, their expressions resembling kindergarten children amazed by even the smallest things.

"At first, when we opened the piggy banks, we discarded them because they could not be reused. But some environmental workers objected, saying that as cleaning administration and environmental workers who should lead environmental protection, we should not create waste. So now we use piggy banks that can be recycled by opening and closing the nose."

So far, the amount of coins collected this year alone is about 8.8 million won.

Initially, only the coins in the piggy banks were donated, but accepting the wishes of some environmental workers who wanted to contribute a little more, now all environmental workers add their year-end union dues to the donation. One worker even donated 100,000 won before retirement, and the environmental workers' mutual aid association also contributes part of its dues to the donation.

With the coins collected and the workers' donations combined, the total amount donated by environmental workers to the Community Chest of Korea for neighbors in need reaches approximately 21 million won.

Jo Heung-rae, head of the Jung-gu branch, said, "I don't think you have to donate a lot of money to help those in need. Environmental workers who start work early in the morning to keep the streets comfortable for citizens are ordinary people, but when it comes to helping those more disadvantaged than us, we are willing to step forward."

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