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| Lee Seung-woo, founder of social startup 119 REO, works at his office in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, Dec. 27. Established in 2018, the social enterprise has upcycled used firefighters' uniforms for bags, backpacks and accessories and donated part of its revenue for cancer-stricken firefighters to help them pay their medical bills. / Courtesy of 119 REO |
Social startup founder donates revenue for firefighters
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Three years ago, social startup founder Lee Seung-woo, a college student studying architecture, met a group of cancer-stricken firefighters.
While fighting for their lives, they were striving in vain at the same time to raise the public's awareness of the dangerous working conditions that expose firefighters to a variety of hazardous conditions while they work to control and extinguish fires.
They were diagnosed with cancer years or decades after they became firefighters, saying their diagnoses were the result of the deleterious working environments they have faced. Some took legal action against the National Pension Service (NPS), demanding compensation. Some gave up and chose to stay mum about their illness.
Their outcry was not heard. At that time, there were very few research papers showing the relationship between cancer and firefighters' working environment, paving the way for court rulings against the firefighters and their loved ones.
Tired of the lack of support for the ailing firefighters, Lee, 27, teamed up with other college students to help them. Soon, he realized there wasn't much college students like him could do to make a fundamental difference for the firefighters. He knew the source of his frustration was money.
In August 2018, Lee founded the social startup 119 REO aiming to upcycle firefighters' uniforms for bags, backpacks and accessories for sale. Part of the revenue the company earns is set aside for the sick firefighters. Over the past year or so, four cancer patients have received 3 million won each to pay their medical bills.
"Back in 2018, there were nonprofit groups helping firefighters. Corporate funding was also pouring in. But all the money went to welfare and medical treatment of the firefighters who were suffering from diseases other than cancer," Lee told The Korea Times. "There was no helping hand for cancer patients, leaving them feeling frustrated in their lonely fight for life."
119 REO is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), meaning it purchases end products manufactured by local rehab centers and community centers and sells them with the 119 REO label. Because of this manufacturing practice, there are three staff members, including founder and president Lee, working at the 119 REO headquarters in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.
REO stands for "rescue each other."
"We came up with the idea of upcycling used firefighters' uniforms for bags because it shows who we're working for," he said. "We thought our customers would easily recognize the purpose of our products."
Some of the upcycled bags contain the debris of the firefighters' work and there are parts covered with soot, an intended device to remind consumers of firefighters' sacrifice and heroic actions.
Lee is proud of the ultra-solid texture and quality of the fabric used in 119 REO bags. "The fabric is bullet-proof, heat-resistant and never burns or melts even when it is exposed to temperatures up to 500 Celsius degrees," he said.
What makes him confident about his products is the fact that they are for a good cause.
Consumers indirectly donate money to the ailing firefighters when they purchase the backpacks and bags.
119 REO runs an online store selling their bags, backpacks and accessories. To promote his products, Lee also hosted pop-up shops at Hyundai Department Store and Lotte Department Store.
Customers' reactions vary, according to him. "A lady who visited our pop-up store became emotional at hearing the story of our bags from us. Our customers' reactions are diverse. Some like the fabric and design, but some don't," he said.
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| This photo shows 119 REO's products. / Courtesy of 119 REO |
Lee's meeting with the father of the late firefighter Kim Beom-suk years ago was a defining moment that encouraged him to campaign for sick firefighters.
Kim Jung-nam, now 70, father of the late firefighter, kindly refused a donation from Lee, encouraging him to use the money to assist other firefighters in their legal battle against the NPS.
At that time, Kim was in a legal fight against the NPS on behalf of his late son who died of angiosarcoma in 2014. Kim claimed the pension authority should have paid compensation to his family because his son was diagnosed with angiosarcoma seven and a half years after he began his career as a firefighter.
Presenting evidence in court, he claimed there was a causal relationship between the cancer his son contracted and his working environment.
The district court, however, ruled against him, siding with the NPS. Kim didn't back down and appealed to a higher court. The Seoul High Court upended the local court's decision in September this year, ordering the NPS to compensate the family of the late firefighter.
Kim won the legal battle five years after he took it.
"When I met Mr. Kim, his son was already dead. He said he wouldn't give up the legal battle, not only for his late son, but also for many other firefighters fighting for their lives," Lee said.
"Mr. Kim asked me to help other firefighters fighting for their lives to hire lawyers to proceed with their legal battle against NPS. If they give up just because of monetary reasons, he said, society will never know the plight and sacrifice of the firefighters. So for him, his legal battle against the NPS was sort of a mission for the all firefighters."
119 REO is a "preliminary" social enterprise. There are certain requirements to be met to be recognized as a full-fledged social enterprise, such as the number of employees and necessary manufacturing facilities and equipment. At the moment, 119 REO doesn't meet these conditions.
Lee has a humble wish. If his business goes smoothly and thrives in the end, he said he would like to help firefighters in developing countries.
"I know firefighters in many countries wear raincoats which are not made of heat-resistant fabric like the uniforms Korean firefighters wear. Even in Korea, it was only in 2003 when firefighters began to wear heat-resistant uniforms," he said. "If 119 REO continues to grow and earns enough revenue to lend our helping hand, I would like to help the firefighters in poor countries."
