Faceless Angel of Jeonju

The Faceless Angel of Jeonju is an unidentified benefactor who has been making donations to the Community Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, South Korea, for over 20 years. Donations by the Faceless Angel started in April 2000 and anonymous donations have continued around Christmas every year. The most recent donation was made on December 30, 2025, and the cumulative donation amount has reached ₩1,134,882,520 (US$).

Since 2005, when the good deeds began to become widely known, various theories have been raised regarding the Angel's identity. These included the theory that the Angel is a gang member or pimp who started performing good deeds to atone for past wrongdoings but finds it difficult to reveal their identity, or the theory that the Angel is a successful, deeply religious businessman who sets out to help the needy every year in memory of their impoverished childhood. At the time of the donation in 2009, the note mentioned that the donor was upholding the wishes of their late mother. Since the donor considers helping those in need to be a promise made to their mother, there was cautious speculation that they would continue their good deeds in the future. In 2009, marking the 10th year of donations, media interest surged; some media outlets even installed hidden cameras, but failed to track them down. Apparently aware of this, the donor delivered the donation a few days after the expected date. During the donation theft incident in 2019, the donor called the community center and asked them to be careful not to expose their vehicle and identity, even if a police investigation took place. and in 2013, Yonhap News Agency argued for self-reflection on the excessive interest in the donor's identity.

Activities

2000–2004 The activities of the Faceless Angel began on April 3, 2000. At the time, a male student who appeared to be in the third grade of elementary school visited the civil affairs office of Jungnosong-2-dong and placed a piggy bank containing 584,000 won on the counter with the words "Please help poor people". On December 26, 2001, another piggy bank containing 742,800 won was delivered anonymously to the community center.

On the morning of December 23, 2003, a man believed to be in his thirties or forties called again, asking people to check the public phone booth next to the community center and that the money be used to help the needy. Inside a paper shopping bag in the booth was five million won in 10,000-won bills and a piggy bank filled with 367,330 won in coins. A note found inside the shopping bag read, "I am so happy that I was able to do more this year than in other years because I worked hard. I hope that at least in our neighborhood, there will be no children going hungry." The following year, on the morning of December 23, 2004, a man presumed to be in his fifties called and left a shopping bag containing cash, a piggy bank, and a note, just in the same location as before, at the monument in front of the community center. The donation amounted to five million won in cash and 448,350 won in coins. Just like in previous years, a shopping bag containing cash and piggy banks was left in the flowerbed next to the underground parking lot of the dong office; it contained 10 million won in cash and 455,180 won in coins. A note included with the bag read, "It snowed too much this year. Please give this to neighbors who are shivering in the cold." On December 27, 2007, at 11:00 AM, a call was received from a man in his late thirties who said he had left a donation in the exact same spot as the previous year, and a donation of 298,100 won in coins and 20 million won in cash was received. In 2009, as media interest increased, a call was made past Christmas on December 28 at 11:55 AM. The delivery location was also changed to next to a vending machine in the open space of the community center, and a cardboard box containing a piggy bank and bundles of cash was left. The donation amounted to 80 million won and 265,920 won in coins, marking the 10th year of donations. A note included with the donation read: "Just as all mothers in Korea did, this is money my mother saved by not spending it and being frugal. I hope this will be used to help neighbors in need, honoring my mother's wishes. Happy New Year. I want to convey my respect and love to my mother in heaven."

2010–2018 The money donated in 2018. The donation, consisting of 50,000 won banknotes and coins from piggy banks, was worth about 50 million won.

At 11:55 AM on December 28, 2010, a man presumed to be in his forties called and hung up after saying, "We do something every year to show our sincerity; please check the flowerbed in the alley next to the hair salon near the community center." A piggy bank and cash were delivered inside an A4 cardboard box to a different location than in previous years, and the donations for this year totaled 35 million won in cash and 341,620 won in coins. No note was left. The following year, on December 20, 2011, at 12:10 PM, a man in his forties called and said, "There is a money box under a Trajet XG parked on the road next to Woori Laundry near the community center, so please come and pick it up." Inside an A4 cardboard box was a donation totaling 50,242,100 won, including 10 envelopes containing 100 50,000-won bills each and 242,100 won in coins from a piggy bank. That year, he left a simple note saying, "Please help neighbors in need. Stay strong and have a Happy New Year."

On December 27, 2012, at 1:53 PM, a man presumed to be in his fifties or sixties called and said, "Look near the 'Faceless Angel Monument' in the flowerbed near the community center," and asked, "Please use this for neighbors in need." As in previous years, an A4 cardboard box contained 50 million won in 50,000-won bills and a piggy bank, and the total donation amounted to 50,304,600 won. No note was left this year. In 2013, at 11:15 AM on December 30, a call was made asking to check the same spot as the previous year, and a donation totaling 49,246,740 won, including bills and a piggy bank, was delivered. A note was also delivered saying, "To all the young heads of households, please stay strong even if things are difficult, and happy New Year." The following year, on December 29, 2014, at 3:40 PM, a person presumed to be in their forties called again. "I am short on time, so I am leaving a box behind the vehicle next to the laundry. Please pick it up quickly before someone else takes it. Please make sure to use it for the needy," and the total amount of donations received reached 50,304,390 won. This year, a note with a similar message to the previous year was added. With this, the Faceless Angel marked the 15th year of donations.

On December 30, 2015, a call was made at 9:53 AM, and a man in his forties or fifties said that money was placed in the woods near the streetlights in the park behind the community center. The method of donation was the same as in previous years, and the enclosed note also contained a message of support for child heads of households. The total amount of donations reached 50,339,810 won. On December 28, 2016, at 11:08 AM, a man presumed to be in his fifties called and left a message saying to check the forest at Cheonsa Park behind the community center, and received a donation of 50,217,940 won, consisting of bills and coins. A note was heard along with the call, which read, "To all young heads of households, it has been a difficult year, but I hope you do not forget that we have the gift of hope. Happy New Year." On December 28, 2017 at 11:26 AM, a middle-aged man called and said that he had left the items in the same location. Inside the box were a donation of 60,279,210 won, consisting of 50,000-won bills and a piggy bank, along with a note that read, "To all young heads of households, you have worked hard through a difficult year. I believe things will be better next year. Happy New Year." On December 27, 2018, a call was made at 9:07 AM, asking that the contents of a box of A4 paper located at the entrance of the community center's underground parking lot be used for neighbors in need. The donation for that year amounted to 50,201,950 won, and a note was also left saying, "To all the young heads of households, you have worked hard. Stay strong in the New Year."

2019 donation theft incident On December 30, 2019, around 10:03 AM, a man called to express his intention to donate, stating, "I have placed a box containing donation money behind the community center, so please check it." A community center employee visited the location, but the donation box was not there. The man called three more times, repeatedly providing the location of the box by asking, "There is a box behind (the community center)," "Have you found the donation?" and "Have you not found the item yet?" The staff searched the area thoroughly for over 30 minutes but failed to find it, eventually reporting the theft to the police at 10:37 AM. The man, who made a fifth call at 10:46, was reportedly very distressed upon hearing the news that the donation had disappeared.

Upon receiving the report, the police faced difficulties in the investigation due to the lack of CCTV cameras near the scene, but they apprehended two thieves at their homes in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, just four hours after the crime. The suspects were high school friends in their thirties who had been staking out the community center in an SUV for several days prior to the donation before stealing the money. However, a resident who found this suspicious noted down the license plate number in advance and reported it immediately, leading to a swift arrest. However, at 11:24 AM on December 29, 2020, a man in his fifties called the community center and said that he had placed an A4 paper box in an alleyway and hoped it would help people struggling because of the pandemic. Inside the box were 70,128,980 won in cash, along with the message: "I apologize for the commotion caused by me last year. It was a difficult year due to COVID-19. I believe you will overcome it." Inside was a piece of paper with the words, "Happy New Year to all child heads of households, and stay healthy."

On December 29, 2021, at 10:05 AM, an anonymous call stated that a donation had been left in the cargo compartment of a truck in front of Seongsan Church. The donation for that year amounted to 70,094,960 won, along with a note containing a message of support for child heads of households and the words, "Please help our underprivileged neighbors, and I hope you have a warm year." Around 11:01 AM on December 27, 2022, a middle-aged man called the community center, stating that a box had been placed under a kindergarten vehicle in front of Seongsan Church. The total cash amounted to 76,005,580 won. A letter included with the cash read, "I hope this will be of some small help to the students in Jeonju who have to give up their dreams due to a lack of college tuition, and to the child heads of households. Stay strong and I hope all your dreams come true. Happy New Year."

On December 27, 2023, at 10:13 AM, a middle-aged man called and said that he had placed a box behind a church sign near the community center. The donation was 80,063,980 won. A message read, "You have worked hard this year. Please help our neighbors in need. Thank you." Around 9:26 AM on December 20, 2024, an anonymous phone call said, "I have placed (the donation) under a truck opposite the Gijachon restaurant, so please use it for the needy." Along with 80,038,850 won in cash, a letter was left that read, "To all young heads of households, have a warm year and a Happy New Year."

Around 3:43 PM on December 30, 2025, a middle-aged man called the community center. The staff found a 90,046,000 won donation with a note that read "I hope 2026 will be filled only with good things. Wishing you good health and a Happy New Year." The cumulative donation reached 1,134,882,520 won.

Use of donations According to a 2015 report, the donations from the "Faceless Angel" are used to help needy neighbors in the Nosong-dong area through the North Jeolla Province Community Chest of Korea. The Nosong-dong Community Center has been distributing fixed amounts to selected low-income households rather than providing concentrated support to specific individuals. This is in response to the Faceless Angel's request that the funds be used for vulnerable groups, including the elderly living alone, child heads of households, and grandparent-headed households.

In the early days, the funds were mainly used to purchase rice and yeontan, but starting in 2002, cash payments ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 won per household began to be distributed in response to residents' wishes to "buy and use what they need." As of 2015, a total of approximately 4,600 households in Nosong-dong benefited from the Faceless Angel's donations, accounting for 74% of the village's total 6,175 households. Also, a memorial stone for the Faceless Angel was completed in December 2009 and was erected in the flowerbed in front of the community center on January 12, 2010. It is 1.2m wide and 1m high, and engraved with the words "Faceless Angel, you are a true person who makes the world bright and beautiful like a candle in the darkness. We love you."

Starting in 2011, a project to develop the villages around Nosong-dong into "Angel Village" was implemented, and cultural spaces for residents and theme zones were constructed. In October 2012, a 2km section from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jeonju to the Nosong-dong Community Center was designated as "Angel's Path". In February 2015, a mural titled "Angel's Wings" was erected to honor the Faceless Angel. In February 2020, a sculpture commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Faceless Angel's donation was installed in Angel Park.

On April 19, 2010, Jeonju City selected the Faceless Angel as the recipient of the Special Public Service Award of Jeonju Citizen's Award. The plaque was given to the Angel Monument Promotion Committee and later displayed at the community center. In 2023, they were selected as the recipient of the Grand Prize of the HD Hyundai Honor Award, presented by the HD Hyundai 1% Sharing Foundation to citizen heroes. The prize money of 200 million won was used to help the underprivileged. In April 2017, the film Finding Angel (천사는 바이러스) was screened at the Jeonju International Film Festival. Produced by the Jeonju Film Commission and directed by Kim Sung-jun, the film is about a reporter visiting the Nosong-dong Community Center to cover the Faceless Angel. It was released in general theaters on January 6, 2021.

Spread of donations Influenced by the Faceless Angel, anonymous donations mimicking them have occurred in Jeonju. In 2009, the Dong-A Ilbo reported that a "Faceless Angel Syndrome" was emerging in Jeonju where people left money or rice at community centers without revealing their identities. On December 16, 2009, "anonymous angels" deposited 3.17 million won at the community centers of Palbok-dong, Seosin-dong, and Wansan-dong and there were more than 10 instances of money and rice being left at community centers in the city that month alone. In 2017, the JoongAng Ilbo reported that the "Angel Effect" had occurred nationwide with an increasing number of citizens sponsoring various welfare projects promoted by Jeonju City such as the "Mother's Table for Children Who Go Hungry" without revealing their identities.

To emulate the good deeds of the Faceless Angel, the residents of Nosong-dong designated October 4 as "Angel Day" as the number 1004 and angel are both pronounced as cheonsa in Korean. In addition, they have held the "Angel Festival" with six neighboring towns since 2011 to help underprivileged neighbors.