30s Male Returns Money for Stolen Books from Student Days... Kyobo Bookstore's 'Ask and Double Donate' Campaign

Man Who Stole School Supplies from Kyobo Bookstore in High School
"I Apologize Late to Make Amends"
Kyobo Bookstore to Donate 2 Million Won to Help Food-Insecure Children

Fifteen years ago, when he was a high school student, a man in his 30s confessed to stealing books and school supplies and sent 1 million won to a bookstore along with a handwritten letter asking, "Although it is late, please accept the payment for the books."

A man who previously stole items from Kyobo Bookstore apologized by delivering 1 million won and a handwritten letter.
[Photo by Kyobo Bookstore]

On the 19th, Kyobo Bookstore announced that last November, a customer handed over an envelope without any explanation at the Kyobo Bookstore Gangnam branch in Seocho-gu, Seoul. At the time, bookstore staff assumed the envelope contained only money and kept it as a simple lost item, but recently reopened it to find twenty 50,000-won bills and a handwritten letter apologizing for past mistakes.

The father of two children, Mr. A, who wrote the letter, confessed, "I may not be able to correct all my wrongs, but if possible, I want to live a life that sincerely acknowledges my mistakes." When he was a high school student, he said, "I often visited the Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun branch. At first, I went there with the intention of reading books, but soon I started taking books and various school supplies that were not mine." He added, "After repeating this several times, I remember that my father paid for the books I was about to steal when I was caught by an employee for the last time."

Mr. A said, "Suddenly, I realized that I had a debt I had not repaid." He continued, "I want to talk openly about my life with my family, but while they might understand my mistakes, I would feel endlessly ashamed if I told them what I did to make amends." He added, "Although it feels very late, I would be grateful if you could kindly accept the payment for the books. As I have been indebted to Kyobo Bookstore, I will live by helping, giving, and forgiving others."

Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun Branch is supporting students taking the CSAT. [Asia Economy Archive Photo]

Kyobo Bookstore stated that they will add 2 million won to the 1 million won left by the customer and donate the total amount to the children's charity Save the Children. A Kyobo Bookstore representative expressed gratitude, saying, "We decided to donate the money to a program that delivers lunchboxes to children at risk of hunger."

Meanwhile, Kyobo Bookstore is a book sales company and bookstore brand in South Korea. The founder, Chairman Shin Yong-ho, said, "There should be at least one bookstore in the heart of Seoul that can represent South Korea," and opened the Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun branch (the first store) in the basement of the Kyobo Life Insurance building in Gwanghwamun.

Chairman Shin established operational guidelines such as ▲ being kind to all customers and always using honorific language even with elementary school students ▲ not stopping customers from standing and reading books in one place for a long time ▲ not giving dirty looks even if customers only browse books without purchasing ▲ not stopping customers from sitting and copying books into notebooks ▲ and never humiliating or treating book thieves as criminals but instead taking them to a discreet place and speaking kindly to them. These policies have earned Kyobo Bookstore a positive reputation as a cooperative company that considers citizens.