Seongbuk-gu Wolgok 2-dong 'Faceless Angel' Rice Arrives Again

In the early morning of the 6th, a truck carrying 300 bags of 20kg rice sent by an anonymous angel from Wolgok 2-dong stopped in front of the Wolgok 2-dong Community Service Center. Lee Seung-ro, the mayor of Seongbuk-gu (center in a yellow jumper), along with about 40 people including community center staff and residents, are unloading the rice together.

At 7:20 AM on the 6th, 300 bags of 20kg packaged rice sent to Wolgok 2-dong Community Service Center

Since 2011, a total of 3,900 bags, 78 tons, worth over 200 million KRW

The angel’s brief phone call: “Please take good care so that our neighbors in need can get through the winter comfortably”

[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; in 2020, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2021, 300 bags of 20kg rice; in 2022, 300 bags of 20kg rice; and in 2023, 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 2023, the Year of the Black Rabbit. Starting in 2011, this marks the 13th consecutive year, totaling 3,900 bags, 78 tons of rice, worth over 200 million KRW to date.

This time as well, the only communication was a brief phone call saying, “I am sending rice early on the 6th so that neighbors in need can have a somewhat comfortable holiday. Please take good care of it.”

The Wolgok 2-dong Community Service Center, upon receiving the angel’s call, felt a mix of emotions. One staff member said, “Since these are difficult times for everyone, we were somewhat prepared for the possibility that the angel might not be able to send rice. After receiving the call, we feel respect and gratitude for the angel’s continued sharing despite hardships, and also relief to confirm the angel’s well-being.”

Welcoming the truck carrying the angel’s 300 bags of rice and unloading them has now become an annual event in Wolgok 2-dong. Every year at dawn when the angel’s rice arrives, a remarkable scene unfolds in front of the Wolgok 2-dong Community Service Center, with not only public officials but also volunteers, residents out for a walk, and soldiers lining up to carry the rice.

A resident who has participated in unloading the angel’s rice for six years said, “The 20kg bags are quite heavy, but thinking about the neighbors in need enjoying the rice sent by the faceless angel gives me strength.”

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, “Many people are curious about the faceless angel who has continued this sharing for a long time, and many have asked me, as the mayor of Seongbuk-gu, to find them. However, we respect the angel’s wish to remain anonymous and continue sharing quietly. We will ensure the rice is delivered to those who truly need it and do our best to spread the culture of sharing so that future generations can see and hear about the angel’s good deeds.”