SEWING COMPANIES DONATE MASKS TO TURKEY

[Anchor Lead]

Sewing companies were one of the businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic but they have turned to making cotton protective masks to ride out the crisis. Having passed the worst phase, the companies say they will donate 10,000 masks to Turkey that fought alongside South Korea in the Korean War.

[Pkg]

​A sewing company specializing in clothing. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt them a serious blow. Sales plunged 70 percent with few new orders coming in. Fortunately, sewing businesses managed to overcome the crisis with orders to supply 300,000 face masks coming from nine districts in Seoul.

[Soundbite] YOON MYUNG-SOON(SEWING COMPANY EMPLOYEE) : "Orders shrank sharply due to the outbreak. But we could return to work thanks to mask orders. We are hard at work and our livelihood is improving."

Having survived the ordeal, these small firms decided to donate masks to express gratitude for the assistance they received. They sent 10,000 anti-bacterial masks to a district office.

[Soundbite] OH BYUNG-YEOL(CHAIRMAN, SEOUL FASHION TEXTILE SEWING ASSOCIATION) : "We should repay what we received. We are very grateful. Small business owners and sewing companies will not forget the support received during difficult times."

The Seongbuk-gu District Office will ship the items to Turkey, which fought alongside South Korea in the Korean War. In Turkey, the number of COVID-19 infections increases by some 1,500 every day. The Turkish ambassador to South Korea expressed deep gratitude for the unexpected gift.

[Soundbite] ERSIN ERCIN(TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA)

To mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, the presidents of the two countries will hold a phone conference on Friday to discuss issues of mutual concern, including quarantine measures. Seoul is paying back the support received seven decades ago by helping an ally overcome the difficult times.