South Korean man returns money stolen from temple as a boy with apology letter decades later

Workers at a temple in South Korea recently found an anonymous letter in a donation box that included 2 million won (US$1,500) alongside an apology for a theft committed 27 years ago.

The letter detailed how, in 1997 during the Asian financial crisis, a boy stole 30,000 won (US$23) from the Jajangam Hermitage at Tongdo Temple in Gyeongsang province. He carried the money home in a fishing net, according to the Korea Times.

In the letter, the man recounted attempting to steal again days later but was caught by a monk. Rather than involving the police or his parents, the monk simply placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, closed his eyes, and shook his head silently.

He described this experience as a pivotal moment that transformed him.

“Since that day, I have never desired anything that was not mine. It was as if the monk cast a spell that guided me to be good,” the man wrote.

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