Seongsan 1-dong Elder Byun Moon-hee, User of Filial Piety Meal Service, Pledges Entire Wealth for Filial Piety Meals and Vulnerable Groups
Elder Byun Moon-hee: "I hope no one goes hungry or misses education due to circumstances..."
Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo-gu: "A person to be respected... Society must repay the kindness received from elders with attention"
A resident of Seongsan 1-dong in Mapo-gu has become a topic of conversation after donating their entire life savings to the filial piety meal program, organized by Park Gang-su, the mayor of Mapo-gu, to provide lunch to seniors aged 75 and older.
On the 12th, a special donation ceremony was held on the 9th floor of the Mapo-gu Office building. It was the donation ceremony for the Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal program by senior citizen Byeon Moon-hee (79) from Seongsan 1-dong.
On this day, senior Byeon Moon-hee pledged to donate all her assets, including her residence and financial assets. She completed a notarized will last year through the Community Chest of Korea, stating that after her death, all her assets would be bequeathed to Mapo-gu’s ‘Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal’ project and support for vulnerable groups.
Rising from her small frame to the podium, senior Byeon Moon-hee received a handwritten note from Mayor Park Gang-su and a certificate of sponsorship from the Mapo Welfare Foundation, smiling warmly.
Born in Jincheon, Chungbuk, Byeon Moon-hee worked tirelessly from the young age of 17, traveling between Seoul and Jincheon to support her family. She was well known among neighbors for her frugal and diligent lifestyle, and it has now been 20 years since she moved to and has lived in Seongsan 1-dong.
When asked why she decided to donate her entire fortune, senior Byeon said, “When I was young, I often fainted because I couldn’t even have a proper meal, and as a girl, I couldn’t study properly. I have always wanted to help neighbors and students who live hard and couldn’t study because of their circumstances. Thanks to the help of welfare workers who visited my home, I was able to make this real donation.” She added, “I lived my whole life alone without children or relatives to care for me. In my later years, because of the filial piety meal program, I became friends with neighbors I didn’t know before, and we go to the filial piety meal restaurant together.” Finally, she said, “I hope the money I donated will help students in need with their studies and allow vulnerable neighbors to have a warm meal without worry.”
A representative from the Mapo Welfare Foundation said, “Although support from various sectors continues for the Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal program, this is the first time someone has decided to donate their entire fortune like senior Byeon. It is especially meaningful because the donation comes from a senior who uses the filial piety meal service.”
Park Gang-su, mayor of Mapo-gu, expressed his gratitude, saying, “Regardless of the amount, donating one’s entire fortune to help neighbors in need is never an easy task. She is truly a remarkable person deserving of respect.” He continued, “Our society must now return the noble heart we received from her. The entire community should pay more attention and provide support so that she can live comfortably and without worry.”
The Mapo-gu Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal program provides warm lunches six days a week to seniors aged 75 and older. It is a resident participation project partially funded by donations from residents. Since its pilot launch in April last year, 17 meal facilities operate across all 16 neighborhoods, serving a total of 500 elderly living alone with warm lunches six days a week.
This year, the district plans to recruit 32 additional meal institutions and expand the number of beneficiaries to 1,500 by the end of the year. They expect that the empathy and participation of local residents like senior Byeon Moon-hee will be a great driving force in advancing the filial piety meal project.
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