South Korean singers Park Jin-young and Seungmin have each donated 100 million won (RM301,240.99) to children’s charities on their birthdays.
Park, also known as Jinyoung, made his donation to Save The Children to mark turning 31 on Sept 22.
Save The Children says in a press release that the money will be used to provide warm meals to children from low-income families ahead of the upcoming Chuseok holiday, a mid-autumn festival and national holiday in South Korea.
Jinyoung, who found fame as a member of K-pop boy band Got7 and is also an actor, says in a statement: “I believe I can continue to move forward with the love and support of many fans, and I’ve been thinking about how I can return the great love you’ve sent me.
“I’m grateful that I can do even a little bit to protect the smiles of children, and I will continue to act and sing with sincerity and do my best.”
In February 2023, he was appointed a member of Save The Children Korea’s Honors Club after donating 30 million won (RM90,381.28) for emergency relief efforts for the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
In April 2025, he donated 30 million won to help children and families affected by the earthquake in Myanmar.
Seungmin , a member of popular K-pop boy band Stray Kids, made his donation to ChildFund Korea to mark his 25th birthday on Sept 22 – the same date as Jinyoung’s.
The donation will go to the charity’s Family Caregiver Support programme, which helps minors who are caregivers for their families.
In a press release by Stray Kids’ management agency JYP Entertainment, he says: “I hope that children who, at such a young age, must shoulder the burdens of adulthood for the sake of their families, can set those weights aside, even for just a moment.
“I hope my support could lighten their load, if only a little, and give them the strength to dream of a brighter future.”
The eight members of Stray Kids are known to make donations to mark their birthdays.
For instance, in 2025, Felix donated 200 million won (RM602,450.65) to Samsung Medical Center, Unicef and World Vision for his 25th birthday on Sept 15, while Han donated 100 million won to Samsung Medical Center on his 25th birthday on Sept 14.
In April, Stray Kids donated 800 million won (RM2.4mil) to charities Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association and World Vision, in support of those affected by the wildfires that swept across south-eastern Korea. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
