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Bikes shared locally; shipments to N.K. to begin in fall
Bicycles are abandoned by their owners for a vareity of reasons. Some were purchased by those looking to improve their health, who then lost their motivation. Others were outgrown by their owners. Some were dumped because of minor infractions: squealing brakes, an out-of-favor style. Hundreds of bicycles daily are left to rust by those who once loved them. "I had to visit North Korea frequently on business, and the dumped bikes in an apartment complex near my house" would always come to mind, said Lee Dong-seop. I got the idea of fixing them and giving them to North Koreans or needy neighbors. In March, I formed an organization with some people feeling same way." An official at Korea Coal Corporation, Lee previously took part in a movement to provide coal to the poor as an energy source. That movement inspired him to take action using abandoned bikes, and in March he founded a corporation called the "The Happy Korean Peninsula, Carrying Love on Bicycles."However, an idea alone cannot see abandoned bicycles reborn as new. Lee needed help from others. When he founded his group, many people contributed money, and the Korea Railroad Corporation donated a warehouse and a workyard at its headquarters in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Professional repair skills were essential, as well, so the group hired four bike repair workers. So far, about 340 bicycles have been fixed and more than 1,500 bicycles have been collected so far. The castaway bikes were collected in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province with help from a number of organizations such as Korean Womenlink, a women’s rights organization, and Woori Housing Operation & Management Co. Kim Yong-seok, general secretary of the bicycle group, said, "As most of the bicycles had problems with their brakes or gears, we had to replace those parts with new ones. We started repair work in June, but we were only able to fix three or four bikes per day." Two of the four hired bike repair workers, who are also recipients of government welfare payments, are receiving additional living expenses from the government in return for working for the organization. Yang Ki-cheol, 60, who has a four-year career in the field, said, "We face many troubles fixing the bikes, but I am happy because I can help people more needy than I." Kim, the general secretary, said, "We are looking for ways to bring employment to the homeless in cooperation with charity centers. At present, we repair only 15 bicycles a day. If we hire more workers, we will be able to increase the figure to 30 or 40." Director Lee Done-seop said, "Our original intention was to help North Koreans, but people around us require urgency, as well. We decided to launch the bicycle-sharing nationally first." Lee’s organization is going to hold an event to donate 250 bikes to 18 Goyang-based charity groups on Saturday. After that, it will contribute bikes to a social welfare center for the elderly in Bucheon. It plans to begin sending bicycles to North Korea starting in October or November.
