Korean shoe cobbler donates for coronavirus

PAJU, SOUTH KOREA » Kim Byung-rok survived tuberculosis when he was 23, but was left with one good lung. In his work polishing and mending shoes, he inhaled too much dirt.

So when he bought land on a small, quiet mountain in 2014, he wanted to heal, to do some farming — and to breathe fresh air.

But now Kim, 60, wants to donate a big chunk of his holdings to the local government. So many South Koreans are shutting their businesses and face declining incomes due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has hit the country hard; Kim thought the value of his land could be put to good use.

“I went through a rough childhood and I got help from others all the time. I’ve always thought I should one day become a person who helps others,” Kim said at his Seoul shop, the thick grime under his nails testimony he spends his days.

“Wouldn’t it be good if I give the people strength and courage?” he said.

It has had that effect. An online media story on his offer has garnered more than 2,100 comments. Some call him “an angel” or “a person who deserves a seat in heaven.”

Kim’s three plots of land are located in Paju, near the border with North Korea. He has pledged the largest parcel of about 10,000 pyeong (a bit more than 8 acres). Local officials value the gift at between 500 and 700 million won, or between $400,000 and $570,000.