10th Year This Year... Wonju 'Pulppang Cheonsa's Gift Box'

Donor Operating Street Bread Stall, Donates Annually
Total Donations Reach Over 32 Million Won in 10 Years

Every year around this time, an anonymous donor visits the Wonju Fire Station in Gangwon and, without fail, delivers a 'gift box' once again this year.

On the 11th, Wonju Fire Station announced that the previous night, a citizen came to the fire station late in the evening, handed a paper box to the staff, and quietly left without revealing their identity. The box was filled with banknotes collected over the course of a year. The donor, a middle-aged woman, is known to run a pulppang street stall in Wonju. Starting in March 2015, when she first delivered a box containing a bag of pulppang and 2.59 million won, she has been delivering a box filled with banknotes every year for 10 years. Wonju Fire Station affectionately calls her the 'Pulppang Angel' at her earnest request not to reveal her identity.

On the 10th, a box containing banknotes delivered to Wonju Fire Station by an anonymous donor known as the 'Bread Angel'
[Photo by Wonju Fire Station, Yonhap News]

On the outside of the box containing cash were messages of encouragement and gratitude, presumed to be written by customers who purchased pulppang, such as "You always look cool running into the fire. Please continue to do so," "Thank you for working for the citizens," "Always stay strong," and "Thank you for protecting us."

The donation delivered by the 'Pulppang Angel' that day amounted to 3,991,000 won. Over 10 years, the total amount she has donated exceeds 32 million won. Wonju Fire Station uses the received donations to supply fire safety equipment to socially vulnerable groups, purchase necessary items for fire, rescue, and emergency medical activities, and provide special consolation funds for firefighters who have died or been injured in the line of duty. Lee Kang-woo, chief of Wonju Fire Station, said, "To live up to the encouragement and support from the 'Pulppang Angel' over the past 10 years, Wonju Fire Station will do its utmost to ensure the safety of citizens."

Meanwhile, last month, an anonymous citizen left drinks and a thank-you letter at the Wolpyeong 119 Safety Center of Dunsan Fire Station in Daejeon. On the night of the 28th of last month, at 11:52 p.m., this citizen left eight boxes of drinks and a letter at the main gate of the Wolpyeong 119 Safety Center. The letter contained concerns for firefighters who work day and night for the safety and lives of citizens, along with a reminder and encouragement not to forget that the firefighters’ own lives are also precious.

Kim Gi-seon, chief of Dunsan Fire Station, said, "As a firefighter, I was just doing what I was supposed to do, but I am grateful for the warm heart that was conveyed," and added, "We will cherish the precious feelings sent to us and always do our best to protect the safety of citizens." Dunsan Fire Station donated the received gifts to neighbors, including the Wolpyeong 3-dong Administrative Welfare Center and Damoa Senior Citizens’ Center, spreading love.

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