Once again, the so-called "black gems" have been delivered to the Jinyeong-eup Administrative Welfare Center in Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province. For the fifth consecutive year, coal briquettes have been anonymously donated.
An unnamed resident of Jinyeong-eup in Gimhae City has once again donated 1,000 coal briquettes to the welfare center this year, asking that they be delivered to neighbors in need.
Coal briquettes donated by an anonymous sponsor are loaded onto a cart at the Jinyeong-eup Administrative Welfare Center in Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, heading to low-income households in the area. Provided by Gimhae City
Coal briquettes, often referred to as "black gems," are a heating fuel known for "warming homes with their 3.65 kg weight and 36.5 degrees of heat."
In the early 1980s, household coal briquettes cost 153 won each. However, as demand has declined and briquette factories have closed, the price has steadily risen to around 1,000 won per briquette today. Including delivery fees, the cost can reach the 1,500 won range.
Although calls to reduce fossil fuel use are growing and alternative fuels are becoming more common, coal briquettes remain essential for households that do not have access to city gas or cannot afford gas heating costs.
The briquettes donated by the anonymous sponsor were delivered to three low-income households in Jinyeong-eup, Gimhae. The neatly stacked briquettes in each home are expected to keep the houses warm throughout the winter.
One resident who received the briquettes said, "With the price of coal briquettes rising, I was worried about heating costs, but I am truly grateful to the sponsor for remembering to help us every year."
Lee Jungho, head of Jinyeong-eup, also expressed his gratitude, saying, "I deeply appreciate the sponsor who quietly and consistently practices sharing," and added, "The town office will do its best to ensure that residents in need have a warm winter."
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