IU, BTS, Twice, Blackpink, G-Dragon and more celebs donate to those affected by wildfires in South Korea

Multiple celebrities in South Korea have come forth to provide aid to those affected by the ongoing wildfires in the country. The fire broke out on Mar 21 and has claimed 30 lives and burned over 119,000 acres of land – leading to the displacement of over 37,000 people.

Donations from these celebrities will go towards treating injuries sustained by firefighters, providing necessities for victims and minimising the damages from the wildfires.

IU 

Singer-actress IU, 31, donated 200 million won (US$135,483) through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

“I hope this provides even a small help to those who have been affected. I also express my deep gratitude for the dedication of the firefighters who are working hard to contain the situation,” she said in a statement.

SUGA (BTS)

The rapper donated 100 million won through the Korean Red Cross.

J-HOPE (BTS)

The 31-year-old donated 100 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

In a joint statement with Suga, he said: "We hope that the prolonged wildfire situation will end as soon as possible. We hope that those who have lost their homes and are struggling and everyone working hard to put out the fire will quickly return to their peaceful daily lives. We hope that this donation will provide some comfort and hope."

RM (BTS)

The BTS leader donated 100 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

“I decided to donate with the hope that it could provide even a little strength. I am grateful to everyone who is working hard to contain the flames and recover from the damage. I sincerely hope that the displaced residents can return to their daily lives as soon as possible,” he said in a statement.

V (BTS)

V donated 200 million won through the Korean Red Cross, with 100 million won going to relief activities for wildfire victims and the other 100 million won for improving the working conditions of firefighters.

He said: “I extend my deep respect to those who have suffered due to the sudden disaster, as well as to the firefighters, response teams, and volunteers who are risking their safety and working tirelessly on the front lines.

“While serving in the military, I felt heartbroken watching the news during our evening roll call. I also thought about how some of my fellow soldiers’ families might have been affected by the disaster, which made me even more concerned. Fortunately, the wildfire has now been mostly contained, but I sincerely hope that there will be no further casualties. I pray that my donation can provide even a small amount of help.”

JUNGKOOK (BTS)

The 27-year-old donated 1 billion won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association, with 500 million won going towards emergency aid and relief supplies for wildfire victims and the remaining 500 million won towards initiatives aimed at raising awareness and improving the working conditions of firefighters.

He said: "I hope this can provide even a small amount of help to all those who are going through a difficult and exhausting time. I sincerely wish for those affected by the wildfire and everyone working hard to contain it to regain their peaceful daily lives as soon as possible.”

NAYEON (TWICE)

The Pop singer donated 50 million won to the Community Chest of Korea to support victims of the wildfires.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the victims who have suffered great losses due to the unexpected wildfire. I sincerely hope that they can return to their peaceful daily lives as soon as possible,” she said.

JIHYO (TWICE)

The Twice leader donated 50 million won to the Community Chest of Korea for recovery efforts.

“I sincerely hope that those affected by the wildfire can recover as quickly as possible. I am deeply grateful for the dedication of those working tirelessly on the front lines for firefighting and relief efforts,” said the 28-year-old.

DAHYUN (TWICE)

The singer-actress donated 50 million won to the Community Chest of Korea.

“I hope that this can provide even a small amount of help to the victims who are going through heartbreak due to this sudden disaster. I am also deeply grateful to everyone working hard on-site for the relief efforts,” she said.

CHAEYOUNG (TWICE)

The 25-year-old rapper donated 100 million won to aid both wildfire victims and firefighters.

“I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone striving to recover from the wildfire damage, and I sincerely hope that the victims can safely restore their daily lives,” she said.

YOO JAE-SUK

The popular entertainer donated 50 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

In a statement to the media, his agency said: “Upon hearing the news of the wildfire damage, Yoo Jae-suk decided to donate with the hope that he could provide even a small amount of help to the affected residents. He sincerely wishes for those struggling due to this sudden disaster to recover their daily lives as soon as possible.”

G-DRAGON (BIGBANG)

The 36-year-old rapper and leader of BigBang donated 300 million won out of the proceeds from his concert.

“I sincerely hope that those who have lost their homes due to this unexpected disaster receive the healing and support they need, and I truly wish for their recovery. I also want to express my deep gratitude to the firefighters, emergency response teams, and everyone working tirelessly on the front lines and in disaster recovery efforts,” he said in a statement through his agency Galaxy Corporation.

JISOO (BLACKPINK)

The Earthquake singer donated 150 million won through the Korean Red Cross to support recovery efforts.

“I hope that this contribution, even in a small way, can provide strength to the firefighters who are dedicating themselves with a tremendous sense of responsibility, as well as to all those affected by the wildfire,” she said.

“It is heartbreaking to see beautiful forests turning black in an instant. I sincerely hope that this donation can help, even a little, in the restoration of the wildfire-damaged forests.”

JENNIE (BLACKPINK)

The 29-year-old donated 100 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

“I was heartbroken to hear that so many people are struggling due to the sudden wildfires. Though it is a small contribution, I wanted to offer my support in hopes that it would bring some comfort,” said the Handlebars singer.

“I sincerely hope that everyone can recover safely and welcome a warm spring.”

GONG YOO

The Squid Game star donated 100 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

"I hope this can be a small help to the victims suffering from the prolonged wildfires, as well as to all those working hard on the front lines, including firefighters," he said.

SEVENTEEN

The K-pop boy group collectively donated 1 billion won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

“We deeply sympathise with those who have suffered due to this unexpected disaster. We hope our contribution can offer even the slightest bit of strength. We extend our condolences to the victims and send our sincere words of encouragement to everyone going through hardship,” said the group.

KARINA (AESPA)

The Aespa member has donated 100 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association, with 50 million won allocated to support firefighters and the remaining 50 million won for wildfire relief efforts.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a time when I’ve longed for ordinary daily life as much as now. I sincerely hope that the prolonged wildfires will come to an end as soon as possible, and that all those affected can return to their daily lives,” she said.

“I extend my deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in this wildfire. I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the firefighters who are tirelessly working around the clock at the scene.”

WINTER (AESPA)

The 24-year-old donated 100 million won through the Korean Red Cross.

“I want to extend my deepest condolences to those who have lost their normal daily lives due to the wildfire. I sincerely hope the fire will be extinguished as soon as possible so that everyone can return to their precious everyday lives,” she said.

KIM JI-WON

The Queen Of Tears star donated 50 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

“I sincerely hope that this donation can be of some help to the wildfire recovery efforts. I truly wish for the fires to be extinguished as soon as possible, for the affected areas to recover quickly, and for those who have been displaced to regain their daily lives,” she said.

IVE

The girl group collectively donated 200 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

STRAY KIDS

The K-pop group collectively donated 800 million won through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.

“We deeply empathise with the pain of those who have lost their daily lives in an instant due to the wildfire. We also want to express our gratitude to everyone working tirelessly in the recovery efforts,” said the group in a statement.