"Not Much but with Scholarship..." Sookmyung Women's University Cleaning Worker Donates Retirement Pay

by Heo Midam

Published 24 Aug.2023 16:11(KST)

"Every time students greeted me, it gave me great strength"

A cleaning worker in his 60s who worked at Sookmyung Women's University for six years has recently been revealed to have donated half of his severance pay as a scholarship, creating a heartwarming story.

According to Sookmyung Women's University on the 24th, Mr. Lim (67), who worked as a cleaner at the school, handed over 5 million won to the university's Development Cooperation Team on the 2nd, requesting it be used for scholarships. It is known that this donation was prepared from Mr. Lim's severance pay.

A representative from Sookmyung Women's University stated, "Mr. Lim asked that the 5 million won be used as scholarships of 2.5 million won each for two students who are children of workers employed by an external service company working at Sookmyung Women's University or who come from financially difficult backgrounds."

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

Mr. Lim worked as a correctional officer for 34 years starting in 1980, and from 2016, he was employed by an external service company to clean the exterior of Sookmyung Women's University buildings and the janitorial supplies warehouse. He retired in December last year.

In a phone interview with Yonhap News, Mr. Lim said, "Although it is not a large amount, I decided to donate with the intention of using it meaningfully." He added, "Every time students greeted me with bright expressions, it gave me great strength, and at the end of the year, they even gave me gifts like gloves or rice cakes."

He continued, "I also lived a difficult life and did not attend college. I only hope that the students grow into bright and healthy members of society," he added. Sookmyung Women's University plans to hold a donation ceremony next month.