Hidden donors boost local communities during year-end

Every year around this time, community centers and relief organizations across South Korea take part in a quiet game of hide-and-seek. Anonymous “angels” leave bags of rice, boxes of instant noodles, or envelopes of cash for neighbors in need during the year-end season. Staff members, in turn, try to identify the donors in hopes of expressing their gratitude. Even when closed-circuit cameras are installed or deliveries are traced through vendors, the benefactors rarely come forward. Some leave only a brief message, saying, “If people know who I am, I will never come back.” This year, reports indicate that the number of donors choosing to remain anonymous has risen noticeably.

According to the Korean Red Cross, 36.7 billion won of the 191.4 billion won in donations collected as of Dec. 10 came from anonymous contributors, accounting for 19.2 percent of the total. This marks the highest share recorded over the past five years. Among major donors who gave more than 100 million won to the Community Chest of Korea, known as the Fruit of Love, 15 percent of the 586 contributors over the past five years chose to remain unnamed.

UNICEF Korea also reported that 31 donors contributed more than 1.4 billion won anonymously during the same period. Anonymous giving surged in the wake of major disasters, including the March wildfires in North Gyeongsang Province and the July torrential rains that triggered landslides nationwide. Many donors said they were compelled to act after watching the news coverage.

The range of anonymous donors spans from those with very little to those with immense wealth. In Buk-gu, Busan, a so-called “Deokcheon-dong Angel” leaves kimchi for kimjang and 30,000 to 40,000 won in cash collected from recycling scrap paper. In Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, the “Tall Gentleman” has donated more than 1.2 billion won over 25 years to children in his late wife’s hometown. In Geochang County, South Gyeongsang Province, a tradition of giving has been passed down through generations, with the “Seven Angels” delivering bags of rice and boxes of ramen by truck for more than two decades. In Seogwipo, Jeju, “Mr. Nogorok” has been sending rice for 27 years. Nogorok, a Jeju dialect word, means “plentiful.” Recipients often say that during the holidays and at year’s end, feelings of abundance outweigh loneliness.

Experts say such anonymous giving reflects a desire to focus attention on those in need and on difficult circumstances, rather than on the donors themselves. Periods marked by disasters or economic hardship tend to strengthen social solidarity, prompting people to help those facing greater adversity. While this year has been difficult and the coming year is expected to be even more challenging, the “Love Thermometer” installed in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square continues to rise steadily as the year draws to a close.