ENHYPEN meets WHO chief, highlights fan-driven blood donation drive
Boy band ENHYPEN poses with World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, center, at HYBE’s headquarters in Yongsan District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of HYBE
K-pop boy band ENHYPEN met World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Seoul to review the results of its global blood donation campaign, the group’s agency said Friday.
According to Belift Lab, a label under HYBE Music Group, the band’s six members met Tedros on Thursday at HYBE’s headquarters in Yongsan District, central Seoul. The members are Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Ni-ki. Officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korean Red Cross Blood Services also attended.
Tedros noted that many patients who need transfusions cannot get safe blood in time. He also praised the members for donating blood themselves.
“Blood is the most precious gift anyone can give to another person — the gift of life. I’m proud of all the members of ENHYPEN for working with WHO and committing to encourage blood donation and save lives,” he said.
“The last campaign was a great success, reaching millions of people. ENHYPEN and Engene have real power to influence the world. I’m your fan, too,” Tedros added. Engene is the name of the group’s fan base.
“We started the campaign hoping the people who support us would join, and we’re grateful that Engenes around the world took part,” the band said. “We want to keep making meaningful changes together with our fans.”
The campaign began in January with the release of the group’s seventh EP, “The Sin: Vanish.” Drawing on the vampire theme that runs through the band’s storyline, ENHYPEN partnered with the Korean Red Cross. Blood donation buses were sent to spots where fans gather, and online events were held for participants nationwide.
From Jan. 16 to 25, 7,730 people donated blood. Of them, 1,031 were first-time donors, about 19 times more than before the campaign. The drive later expanded to Japan and Singapore and drew about 10,000 participants in total.
In June, the group joined a WHO campaign for World Blood Donor Day, releasing content on the importance of safe blood supplies and donating blood themselves.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.