 Korea Customs Service (KCS) Commissioner Joo Yung-sup, center, Bangladesh Ambassador to Korea Shahidul Islam, right, and head of the customs agency’s Seoul bureau Cheon Hong-wook, hold blue jeans with counterfeit labels seized from illegal traders that are part of donations to Bangladeshi students at the KCS’ Seoul office, Saturday. / Courtesy of KCS |
By Kim Jae-won
The Korea Customs Service (KCS) donated thousands of counterfeit clothes, second-hand eyeglass frames and watches to Bangladeshi students to spread a sharing culture and strengthen ties with the Asian country.
Cheon Hong-wook, head of the KCS Seoul bureau, gave 1,400 items of clothing including fake jeans, T-shirts and pants, which the agency seized from illegal traders, to the Bangladesh Ambassador to Korea Shahidul Islam at the agency’s Seoul office, Saturday.
The agency also donated 1,300 used eyeglass frames and watches, which officials of the agency and students from neighboring schools contributed to the event.
“I hope a sharing spirit will flow into society through this special moment. I also expect that the bilateral relationship with Bangladesh will improve with the donation,” said Cheon during the ceremony.
Part of the agency’s social activities, the donation of fake goods to developing countries continue. In April, the KCS donated 2,000 sneakers and 1,200 T-shirts to needy people in Laos.
“Donations will be given to students in Bangladesh. They will remember Korea’s help and the two countries will have a stronger relationship as a result. I am very happy for the event,” said Islam.
Hundreds of volunteers from Ilsin Girls’ Commercial High School, Eonbuk Middle School and Dong Seoul College, painted the Korean national flag on the clothes, packed them and cleaned the used eyeglass frames.
“I am happy to take part in this activity. I hope Bangladeshi people like these clothes,” said Jeon Ye-lin, a junior student from Ilsin in Songpa, southeastern Seoul. Jeon said she willingly joined the event to contribute to the donation process even though her mid-term tests are looming.
About ten male students from Eonbuk packed clothes, while a group of female students wrote encouraging messages on the cases of the glass frames, such as “Cheer up” and “Be happy.”
Ten Dong Seoul students volunteered to fix broken watches. Lee Jae-sang, a teaching assistant at the college said that he joined the event to help people in Bangladesh who suffer from a lack of essentials in daily life.
A couple of opticians from the Korea Opticians’ Association helped wash the second-hand eyeglass frames with a machine which they brought. The association also plans to make eyeglasses for Bangladeshi students and will export optical technology to the country.
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