Seongbuk-gu's Faceless Angel Sends 300 Bags of 20kg Packaged Rice at Dawn on the 16th... Secret Good Deeds for 10 Years Since 2011... Total 3,000 Bags, 600 Tons, Worth About 180 Million Won
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] In 2011, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2012, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2013, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2014, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2015, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2016, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2017, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2018, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2019, 300 bags of 20kg rice. And in 2020, 300 bags of 20kg rice.
The faceless angel once again sent 300 bags of 20kg packaged rice to the Wolgok 2-dong Community Service Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, in the year 2020, the Year of the White Rat. This marks the 10th consecutive year since 2011, totaling 3,000 bags, weighing 600 tons of rice, with a market value of approximately 180 million KRW.
This year as well, the only communication was a brief phone call on the morning of the 16th saying, "I am sending rice so that neighbors in need can get through the winter a little more comfortably. Please take good care of it."
Residents, hoping that the angel might reveal their identity "this year, perhaps...", are half disappointed and half smiling. Since it is the 10th year since the faceless angel's rice sharing began, there was some expectation that even a small clue to the angel’s identity might emerge.
Residents of Wolgok-dong praise the angel’s "steadfastness" in sharing without fail for 10 years. Even the community center staff, who initially thought it was a one- or two-year event, have become proud beyond being moved as the angel’s heartwarming story continues for a decade.
A staff member at the Wolgok 2-dong Community Service Center said, "On the day the angel sends rice, we start work early in the morning and carry out a huge operation moving 300 bags of 20kg packaged rice," adding, "Though physically exhausting, it is a joyful hardship that fills our hearts and brings smiles to our faces."
On the early morning of the 16th, a spectacular scene unfolded in front of the Wolgok 2-dong Community Service Center, where about 100 residents, public officials, soldiers, and police officers stood in a line passing the rice along.
They exchanged kind words and encouragement with neighbors carrying the rice on their backs, creating a festive atmosphere with broad smiles. Some residents, having heard about the faceless angel, even came specifically to lend a hand.
The number of residents practicing sharing following the faceless angel has also increased. The methods vary widely. In addition to rice and cash gifts, some make and donate customized daily necessities. Residents of the nearby Dong-A Ecoville Apartment run a workshop themselves to create customized daily items for the elderly. Small portable tables and footrests for sinks, which are highly practical in small homes, are especially popular.
Local seniors have also united. One hundred seniors using the municipal Sangwolgok Silver Center pooled 10,000 KRW each, contributing a total of 1 million KRW in donations. A 76-year-old senior from Wolgok 2-dong who participated in the "100 seniors 10,000 KRW sharing" said, "Most of the elderly living alone in the neighborhood receive rice sent by the angel," adding, "As elderly people who should be role models in the village, 100 seniors gathered 10,000 KRW each to share even a small happiness like the angel."
On the day of the rice sharing, a special guest also appeared. Grandma Lee Sook-young (93, Wolgok 2-dong), who moved to Wolgok 2-dong four years ago, said she came out early in the morning to express her gratitude as she has been receiving the angel’s rice every year.
She said, "Because I am old and don’t know when I will have another chance to express my gratitude, I deliberately came to the community center on the day the angel sends rice," adding, "Thanks to the angel, I have been able to spend every Lunar New Year with a warm heart, and I really want to express my gratitude."
Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, "There are many times when socially isolated neighbors I meet on site complain that the loneliness of having no one around is unbearable," and emphasized, "The beautiful story unfolding in Wolgok 2-dong not only provides emotional support by letting isolated neighbors know there are warm-hearted neighbors nearby, but also leads to a virtuous cycle of good deeds where those who receive help go on to help others. We will strive to further honor the angel’s intentions."
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