A handwritten letter and cash found inside a cardboard box left in front of the Deokcheon Police Precinct in Busan / Courtesy of Busan Bukbu Police Station

A family receiving basic livelihood support has touched people's hearts by collecting scrap for money and using their savings to provide Christmas gifts for those in greater need.

According to Busan's Bukbu Police Station on Wednesday, a large cardboard box was discovered outside Deokcheon Police Precinct at around 10:10 a.m. on Christmas Eve. Inside the box was a handwritten letter, thirty 1,000-won bills (approximately $23), a piggy bank, a children's padded jacket and some kimchi.

The donor, introducing himself in the letter as the father of three children, including one with a level-3 disability, wrote, "I sold scrap to prepare this, but the results were less than I hoped. I'm sorry it isn't much." He expressed hope that the items would reach a family in need during the cold winter.

The letter continued, "I exchanged the bills for clean ones at the bank. I made this donation to make my youngest son's birthday meaningful." He apologized for the modest offering of kimchi and the jacket, saying, "I don't know if the kimchi tastes good, but I hope you enjoy it. I hope the jacket keeps a child warm and becomes a Christmas gift."

He added, "The piggy bank was filled with (the) allowances saved (up) by my three children. Please accept this cute piggy bank from my lovely children. Merry Christmas."

CCTV footage captured a woman, believed to be the donor's wife, leaving the box at the precinct. The same individual had previously donated 30,000 won along with clothes, snacks and ramen for Children's Day in May, all funded by selling scrap, according to the police station.

The family has made eight donations since last year, including 45,000 won in September 2022 to support police officers and firefighters injured in a bathhouse explosion in Busan's Dong District.

An official from the Deokcheon Police Precinct said, "Raising three children under such challenging circumstances while continuing to perform these anonymous acts of kindness is incredibly moving. Their warm-hearted gesture brought us immense joy this winter."

The donated items were delivered to the Deokcheon 2-dong Administrative Welfare Center to be distributed.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.