Miryang Couple Kim Byungsoo and Lee Kyunghee Donate 100 Million Won from Lifelong Savings

Practicing care for neighbors with annual donations of 1 million to 2 million won since 2015

A couple, Kim Byungsoo and Lee Kyunghee, who live in Samnangjin-eup, Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, donated 100 million won to help neighbors in need.

The couple Kim Byeongsu and Lee Gyeonghui donated 100 million won to Miryang City to help neighbors. Miryang Mayor Ahn Byeonggu is pictured on the right. [Photo provided by Miryang City]

Miryang City said on November 4 that the couple had donated 100 million won to support vulnerable residents in the area.

The donation came from the couple's savings, accumulated through a lifetime of frugal living while working in agriculture since 1968. They said Miryang City's support for farmers and the government's National Pension benefits had helped them maintain a stable life, and explained that they decided to give back to the community for the support they had received from society.

Kim Byungsoo served as village head from 1985 to 1989 and continues to contribute to the community, including as a member of the Samnangjin Lions Club.

Since 2015, the couple has donated between 1 million and 2 million won each year to the Samnangjin-eup Administrative Welfare Center. They have also regularly shown their care for neighbors, including by donating goods worth 4 million won to senior centers for older residents in the village.

The couple said, "We have always felt for our neighbors who work hard to live honestly despite difficult circumstances. We hope this donation will provide even a little help and warm comfort to those in need."

Miryang Mayor Ahn Byunggu said, "I deeply thank the couple for sharing the precious fruits of a lifetime of hard work with neighbors in need in our community. I hope this act of sharing will bring warmth to the community and help spread a culture of giving."

The donation will be linked to the Miryang Happiness Sharing Fund and used to provide livelihood, medical, and housing assistance to vulnerable residents in the area. In particular, the city plans to swiftly provide 100,000 won per household in heating fuel costs to 300 households in welfare blind spots, including low-income older adults living alone who are vulnerable to severe winter cold.

This donation is a meaningful example of sharing the precious fruits of a lifetime spent working in agriculture with the community. It is expected to provide practical support by easing heating costs and helping stabilize the lives of residents in welfare blind spots, including low-income older adults living alone who are vulnerable to severe winter cold.

It is also expected to establish a virtuous cycle in which voluntary private giving is linked with public welfare programs and to help spread the values of charity and sharing throughout the community.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.