A security guard who found gold worth about 21 million won ($13,700) inside a discarded rice cooker and returned it to its rightful owners has drawn public attention after the story came to light.
According to the Korean National Police Agency on Sunday, a security guard in his 70s, identified only as A, discovered 25 don of gold — including gold bars and rings — inside an abandoned rice cooker on April 12 while sorting recyclables at a waste disposal area in an apartment complex in Okpo-dong, Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province. The gold was valued at about 21 million won. After finishing his shift the following day, A went straight to the local police substation and asked officers to find the owner.
Police canvassed the area and reviewed closed-circuit television footage to identify the owner of the rice cooker.
The gold had belonged to a woman, identified only as B, who had recently died. She had hidden the gold inside the rice cooker to keep her valuables safe. "It appears she kept the gold in the rice cooker because she considered it the safest place," a police official said.
B's family had been sorting through her belongings after her death and discarded the appliance without checking inside.
When police contacted the family and explained what had been found, the relatives bowed their heads with their hands clasped together, then bowed deeply to express their gratitude. Police returned the gold to the family, who were able to recover what had nearly been lost — a final keepsake from their mother.
"It was a mother's last gift," a police official said. "What shone brightest that day was not the pure gold, but the warmth of a person's heart."
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