Anonymous Donors

[Anchor Lead]

There are good folks out there who continue to do good deeds anonymously. On today’s close up, we introduce some of their stories which are especially heartwarming to hear in the year-end holiday season.

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Bags of rice are piled up at a corner of a town office. 30 bags have arrived this year, amounting to 600 kilograms. Since 1989, the year end rice donations have continued every year without exception for 28 years. The donated rice adds up to tens of thousands of dollars but the donor does not wish to be known. The person only says he or she is a farmer from Geochang, Gyeongsangnam-do Province and asks the rice to be used by needy neighbors.

[Soundbite] Lee Hae-yong(Gajo-myeon Township Mayor) : "The person persisted to remain unknown as the donation is solely to help others in need."

And the rice has been delivered to people in need. The recipients beam with joy for receiving an unexpected gift. Their faces light up.

[Soundbite] Kim Jae-soo(Gajo-myeon Township Resident) : "I'm so grateful and also sorry. I'm speechless."

[Soundbite] Lee Seok-sun(Gajo-myeon Township Resident) : "I'm thankful for the donor helping others with the fruit of his or her farm work."

Turning to another story, a man believed to be in his 30s or 40s visited a district office in the city of Incheon last month. He said he was running an errand for someone else and presented a paper bag. Inside was cash in Korean won worth over 41-thousand dollars. He asked the money to be used for senior citizens living alone and child breadwinners. Despite repeated request for the donor's identity, the man vanished only leaving the name "Kim Dal-bong."

[Soundbite] Oh Seon(Donations Affairs, Dong-gu District Office) : "There was a bundle of 50,000 won bills(USD 40). I was so surprised. He only left a name, Kim Dal-bong."

Two other district offices in Incheon also received cash donations of the same amount under the same name Kim Dal-bong. Given the amount, the method and the handwriting of the name, it's likely all three are the same person.

[Soundbite] Kim Hwa-ja(Welfare team, Bupyeong-gu District Office, Incheon) : "The person wanted to remain anonymous. No contact number was left and we didn't receive any phone call thereafter."

This man is also known to have donated some 83-thousand dollars in cash to a relief organization in late October using the same name.

[Soundbite] Eo Jeong-wuk(Section Chief, Good Neighbors) : "Mr. Kim! We will use your donation more effectively and transparently for children of low-income households."

Benevolent deeds by faceless donors are warming up hearts in this freezing winter.