Last week, South Koreans witnessed devastating downpours flooding the entire city of Seoul. What started off as pleasant weather turned into one of the biggest catastrophes South Korea has faced in a while.
This was the worst flood the country had seen in over 80 years. Nature’s wrath rained down on South Korea, stranding people on the road with over 3000 cars submerged underwater and flooding basement houses, a scene very similar to what was shown in Bong Joon-Ho’s film Parasite.
Many pictures of the flood went viral on the internet with sympathies pouring in from around the world. The flood caused damage not only to the infrastructure of the city but also took the lives of at least 13 individuals, displacing thousands of others and shattering various families.
The damage the flood left in its wake was too huge to be repaired even by the Government themselves. For this reason, many Korean celebrities donated a bit of their fortune to various funds working towards rebuilding the city and providing relief to victims of the flood.
7 Korean celebrities who donated to the devastating flood that plagued Seoul
1) IU
The nation’s little sister, IU, lived up to her national nickname by donating 100 million won to the Hope Bridge Association to help the victims of the flood and rebuild damaged infrastructure. This is not the first time IU has donated to Hope Bridge for causes she believes in and has reportedly donated over two billion won in the past two years to the organization.
2) Kang Tae-oh
Kang Tae-oh, better known as Lee Jung-ho from Extraordinary Attorney Woo, has a heart as pure as his looks. The actor donated 20 million won to relief funds. After the end of the first season of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, the Korean actor is set to complete his mandatory conscription. However, he will return just in time for the second season of the series.
3) Im Si-wan
Im Si-wan was one of the first Korean celebrities to have donated to the cause. He donated 20 million won to the Hope Bridge Association to help with the flood relief efforts. He has also previously donated to the organization for the wildfire that plagued South Korea.
4) Yoo Jae-suk
The nation’s most popular comedian and host Yoo Jae-suk made sure to do whatever he could to help the fellow citizens of South Korea who have shown him immense love and respect. He made a donation of 100 million won to the Hope Bridge Association which will go towards the rehabilitation of the victims of the flood.
5) Han Ji-min
Popular actress Han Ji-min, known for her role in the Netflix drama Our Blues, donated 50 million won to the Community Chest of Korea. The actress mentioned that she heard in the news about the welfare facilities for the severely disabled who suffered due to the flood and wanted to help them out.
6) Park Na-rae
Comedian and host Park Na-rae, despite being hospitalized due to a ligament injury, managed to donate 10 million won after hearing about the devastating Seoul floods. She hopes that with the help of donations, the victims will soon be able to return to their normal lives.
7) Kim Go-eun
Korean actress Kim Go-eun donated 50 million won to the relief funds in the hope of rehabilitating the victims of the flood. She mentioned in a statement that she wishes her money would be used to help victims affected by the storm return to their daily lives smoothly.
Various K-pop idols such as GOT7’s Jinyoung and Winner’s Kang Seung-yoon also donated to the cause. But for some, like Korean actor Jo Han-sun, simply donating wasn't enough. He was seen volunteering at the flood sites, physically helping out to the best of his abilities. Many citizens of South Korea also worked alongside him and praised him for his efforts.