South Korean singer-actor Lee Seung Gi rang in his birthday with a generous donation. Lee Seung Gi’s birthday, the star donated 550 million won (over 3.61 crores) to the Korean Red Cross. His donation will be used to fund mobile meal trucks and manufacture buses for blood donations in support of disaster relief efforts.
According to Korean media portal Soompi, On January 13, Korean Red Cross chairman Shin Hee Young also awarded Lee Seung Gi an honorary certificate made for donors who have contributed over 500 million won (over 3.28 crores). Following the event, Lee Seung Gi took to his Instagram to share the reason behind his donation.
“I wanted to provide practical help in this situation of disaster,” he said on the post. “I thought that it’d be nice if I could serve a warm meal to my neighbors in need. That’s how I learned about mobile meal trucks. After fire trucks, they dispatch the quickest and take care of meals for 50,000 people.”
As Lee Seung Gi stated, one of the most pressing issues in emergency situations is a lack of blood. Blood stocks are dangerously low, particularly in Korea, with a retention period of less than five days, and the situation has only gotten worse throughout the pandemic.
“Disaster situations, as well as emergency situations, can happen to anyone,” he added. “I hope my donation will be of at least a bit of help to my neighbors suffering from disaster and diseases. I learned that there are a lot of people who work hard in the middle so that this donation can be used where it’s needed. I express my feelings of respect for them.”
Lee Seung Gi went on to say that the continued attention of many people to these pressing issues is far more important than a single donation from one person, before wishing everyone a happy new year and good health.
