Actress Ha Ji-won

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Korean actress Ha Ji-won, renowned for her role in the KBS hit drama ``Hwang Jin-Yi,'' has been secretly helping underprivileged and disabled children and their families for the past year.

The actress together with the Gangnam-gu Family Welfare Center in Seoul has been running a donation project for children called ``The Smile Again Project,'' which they started in December 2006. The actress' fan club ``1023'' have been active volunteers since the beginning. Ha put down 100 million won to get the project going, ward officials said.

``Ha has been very cooperative, and most of all she has made sure the project didn't end up being merely a donation event,'' said an official from the center.

Members of the project are still visiting children and provide them with financial, medical and educational support. The project has organized various events such as wall painting and special bank account campaigns, collaborating with regional welfare organizations as well.

``It is very important for these programs to last, Ha has been donating regularly and her fans have also participated with enthusiasm,'' said the official.

The center is planning a year-end party with Ha and will celebrate the successful first anniversary of the project on Saturday. They will invite the children and their families to the party, look back on their journey and also prepare for a more fruitful second year.

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