Suwon City, led by Mayor Lee Jae-jun, announced on September 27 that Kim Hoon-dong, co-chair of the Suwon Visit Year Promotion Committee, donated 2,290 openers collected from around the world on September 23.
The donation ceremony took place at Hwaseong Sarangchae, located near Hwahongmun in Buk-su-dong. The city is hosting a permanent exhibition titled 'A Special World Tour Through Openers,' featuring openers from 131 countries.
Some of the donated openers will be selected for display, with items rotated quarterly. Visitors will be able to explore the culture, design, and travel memories encapsulated in these small bottle openers.
Hwaseong Sarangchae will introduce the stories behind the collected items to visitors.
Attending the donation ceremony were Mayor Lee Jae-jun and other members of the Suwon Visit Year Promotion Committee. Mayor Lee presented a plaque of appreciation to Kim Hoon-dong.
Mayor Lee expressed gratitude to Kim Hoon-dong, stating, 'I thank Co-chair Kim Hoon-dong for donating this valuable collection gathered over half a century from 131 countries. Tourists visiting Hwaseong Sarangchae will encounter diverse cultures through the openers and experience unique joys of traveling in Suwon.'
Kim Hoon-dong, 82, is a native of Suwon and graduated from Suwon Buk Middle School, Nonggong High School, Seoul National University, and Chung-Ang University Graduate School. He has served as a professor at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation University, editor-in-chief of the Farmers' Newspaper, head of the Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, president of the Gyeonggi Red Cross, president of the Suwon Writers' Association, and president of the Suwon Arts Council.
He continues to be active in various roles, including as an advisory member of the International PEN Korea Center, a director of the Quarterly Literary Writers Association, and a director of the Farmers' Literature Association. He has published several poetry collections, including 'Wusim,' 'Eoksae,' and 'I Become a Forest,' as well as over 40 books related to Suwon, such as 'The Breath of Suwon Hwaseong: Shaped by Poetry and Art' and 'Hidden Expressions of Suwon Beyond the Fortress Walls.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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