Celebrities chip in to help quake victims
By Park Si-soo
Yoo Jae-suk / Korea Times file
South Korea’s top comedian Yoo Jae-suk donated 50 million won ($45,000) to help people affected by a series of earthquakes that struck Pohang on Nov. 15.
He donated the money through Hope Bridge, a local NGO.
“He did it personally without telling us,” said an official at Yoo’s agency FNC Entertainment.
It was not his first donation of this kind. Last summer, he donated 50 million to help people affected by heavy rain. He has also extended a helping hand to “comfort women,” who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II.
K-pop band TVXQ has donated 50 million won for the children of low-income families in the quake-hit area.
Singer Jang Yoon-jung donated 50 million won to help quake victims through Community Chest of Korea, another local charity. Actress Lee Young-ae and soccer player Lee Dong-guk also made donations.