A heartwarming story has emerged from Boeun County, North Chungcheong Province. In it, a dedicated public servant makes a touching gesture by donating his long-grown locks to help pediatric cancer patients. The hero of this tale is 35-year-old Kwak Jae Dong, a facility manager in the Construction Department.
Kwak announced Monday that he plans to donate the hair he’s been growing for the past 15 months to the Korea Social Contribution Foundation. His donated hair will be used to create special wigs for children suffering from severe hair loss due to cancer treatments.
A simple realization sparked Kwak’s decision. “I stumbled upon information about pediatric cancer patients needing 100% human hair wigs due to their sensitive skin,” he said. “Right after my wedding in October 2023, I decided to grow out my hair to contribute in whatever way I could.”
As a male public servant, maintaining long hair while on the job wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. His hair had to reach at least 25 cm (10 inches) long to meet donation requirements and include a minimum of 30 strands. That meant avoiding blow-drying and steering clear of perms and dyes—sacrifices he willingly made.
He faced some raised eyebrows and misconceptions from the public, but thoughts of children battling cancer kept him going. “I nurtured my hair with care, always keeping in mind the young patients enduring chemotherapy,” he explained.
Kwak expressed his gratitude, noting that the support and understanding from his colleagues made his small act of kindness possible. He added that he is now exploring other ways to support pediatric cancer patients.