Historic Fundraising Achievement Reached
A nationwide winter charity initiative has set a new record by collecting 51.24 billion won (approximately $38.6 million) in donations, marking the largest amount raised in the campaign’s history. The two-month humanitarian effort concluded this week with a closing ceremony in Seoul attended by organizational leaders and beneficiaries.
Donation Breakdown
Corporate contributions accounted for 39.2 billion won, showing a 6.9% increase from the previous year, while individual donations reached 12.04 billion won. The campaign’s innovative “Warmth Thermometer” visual tracker proved particularly successful, with each percentage point of the 45 billion won target representing one degree of symbolic warmth.
Kim Byung-jun, chairman of the organizing committee, stated: “Despite economic uncertainties, the public’s heartfelt support helped us surpass the 50 billion won milestone for the first time. These donations will ensure basic living security for vulnerable groups and help address emerging social challenges.”
Long-Term Impact and Future Goals
The record-breaking total represents a 16.4% increase from last year’s collections and marks the first time annual donations have exceeded 900 billion won since the program’s establishment in 1998. A significant portion of funds will support emergency relief operations, with fire service personnel voluntarily donating a minimum of 1,190 won monthly through payroll deductions.
Over 2,500 public safety officials currently participate in the automatic payroll contribution system, which has operated since 2015. Recent monthly payroll donations averaged approximately 89 million won through December of last year.
