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Dubai chewy cookies for blood donors sit on the Gwanghwamun Blood Donation Middle in Jongno District, central Seoul, Friday. Korea Instances Picture by Park Ung
Choi Sang-hun, a 21-year-old workplace employee who repeatedly donates blood, had by no means tried a Dubai chewy cookie generally known as “dujjonku,” even because it surges in recognition to turn out to be one of many hardest treats to search out in Korea.
He lastly received a style on the Gwanghwamun Blood Donation Middle in Jongno District, central Seoul, the place the cookies had been handed out to the primary 100 individuals to donate blood that day.
“I don’t know but whether or not it tastes good as a result of I haven’t tried it, nevertheless it feels nice to get one,” Choi informed The Korea Instances.
His story factors to a broader effort by the Korean Pink Cross, which oversees the nation’s blood provide, and has turned to a rising checklist of incentives — from viral cookies to Ok-pop — because it struggles to ease a persistent blood scarcity.
The Korean Pink Cross has not met this 12 months’s benchmark for satisfactory every day blood provides of not less than 5 days’ value, which means it stays on the “alert monitoring” stage.
The pressure of an insufficient provide follows a current slide in reserves: Blood provides met the satisfactory degree for 242 days in 2023 and 304 days in 2024, earlier than falling to 248 days final 12 months, leaving shares beneath goal for roughly one-third of the 12 months.
In accordance with the Korean Pink Cross and the Ministry of Knowledge and Statistics, the quantity of people that donated blood not less than every year fell 25.4 p.c, from practically 1.7 million in 2014 to about 1.26 million in 2024, the bottom degree since knowledge grew to become out there in 2005.
The Korean Pink Cross stated low birthrates and a speedy ageing society will drive up demand for blood transfusions over the mid- to long-term, whereas additionally shrinking the pool of eligible donors.
Final 12 months, individuals aged 65 and older accounted for greater than 21 p.c of Korea’s inhabitants, which means the nation is now a super-aged society by United Nations requirements. The overall fertility charge stood at 0.75 in 2024, far beneath the OECD common of 1.51 in 2022.
Dubai chewy cookies for blood donors sit out at a blood donation heart in Yeonsu District, Incheon, Tuesday. Yonhap
In response, the company has stepped up its promotions this month, transferring past normal items resembling vouchers to supply incentives starting from Dubai chewy cookies to photograph playing cards of Ok-pop group ENHYPEN at choose donation facilities.
On Jan. 16, when Dubai chewy cookies had been provided, 668 individuals donated blood at eight facilities in Seoul — a 116 p.c improve from the earlier Friday, the Korean Pink Cross stated.
“The strategy is already bearing fruit,” stated Shin Geum-ok, a 54-year-old nurse with about 30 years of expertise, who works on the Gwanghwamun Blood Donation Middle.
Friday marked the primary day the middle started handing out Dubai chewy cookies. Shin stated the middle purchased 100 cookies from a close-by cafe to distribute to the primary 100 donors.
“As of 10:30 a.m., we often see about 4 or 5 donors, however at the moment we’ve had 14 — greater than double,” Shin stated.
She added that blood provides usually stay tight, delaying some transfusions, and expressed hope the promotion will assist stabilize them.
Yang Chung-mo, a 59-year-old blood donor, poses with a Dubai chewy cookie he acquired on the Gwanghwamun Blood Donation Middle in Jongno District, central Seoul, Friday. Korea Instances photograph by Park Ung
Nonetheless, the cookies appeared to matter little to common donors.
Yang Chung-mo, a 59-year-old who’s an everyday blood donor, stated he realized concerning the giveaway solely after registering.
“I don’t assume promotions like this have a lot affect on blood donation,” Yang stated, including that almost all repeat donors give blood regardless.
Hwang Dae-young, a 34-year-old workplace employee, stated he donates blood repeatedly no matter promotions however that such occasions may nonetheless draw extra donors. They may additionally assist with platelet and plasma, he stated, which take longer to donate.
“If promotions give attention to areas the place platelets and plasma are particularly wanted, they could possibly be more practical,” Hwang added.
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