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Three KF94 masks donated by a resident of an apartment complex in Seoul’s Seongbuk District to its security guards. (photo provided by the resident)

After learning that the security guards at his apartment complex in Seoul’s Seongbuk District were getting by on two face masks a week, an individual surnamed Kim, 27, gave them three KF94 masks.

“I gave the guards the masks after they told me they couldn’t afford to use new ones, even though their masks had gotten dirty while they were sorting the recycling and cleaning the apartment. I don’t have much trouble buying masks online or keeping track of stock at pharmacies.”

As masks remain scarce amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there are numerous reports of people sharing masks with neighbors in greater need.

In numerous posts on online message boards and social media, users relate how they’ve shared masks with apartment security guards who don’t get them from their employers and who get off work too late to buy them from pharmacies, where they’re being rationed.

“When I hand out the masks I’ve ordered to taxi drivers and apartment security guards who aren’t able to make it to the pharmacies that sell publicly rationed masks, they’re very grateful,” said one member of an online community.

Others are extending a helping hand to vulnerable workers and delivery drivers. “[A courier] who has to keep delivering credit cards under these circumstances was wearing a kid-sized mask, so I gave him three adult-size masks I had at my house. He sent me a text message to say thank you,” said one resident of Seoul’s Songpa District.

An office worker surnamed Mun, 30, was waiting in line to buy public masks at a pharmacy in Seoul’s Jung District when she let an elderly woman have the two masks allotted to her. “Even though I’d been waiting in line, I gave up my masks because this woman wasn’t even wearing one. I think there ought to be a program to provide masks to elderly people who have trouble checking whether pharmacies have them in stock,” Mun said.

Masks are also been used as a peace offering in disputes about noise in adjoining apartments. “The people living in the unit above my parents came down with a box of masks a few days ago. They wanted to apologize about any noise their kids might be making while they were staying home from daycare. At first my mom refused to take the masks on account of their scarcity but eventually she accepted them,” wrote someone on one message board.

By Bae Ji-hyun, staff reporter

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