Singer and producer Park Jin-young, more famously known as JYP, has donated 1 billion won ($763,766) to five hospitals in Korea to support the treatment costs for underprivileged children.
JYP, the former head of JYP Entertainment, decided to make a generous donation to help children and adolescents from vulnerable groups struggling with high surgery and treatment costs.
The funds, sourced from JYP's wealth, will be distributed equally among five hospitals -- Samsung Medical Center (SMC), Asan Medical Center (AMC), Chungnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Hospital, and Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, with each receiving 200 million won.
This year's donation marks the second consecutive year where JYP has contributed 1 billion won. Last year, JYP contributed a total of 1 billion won, with 500 million won each to SMC and World Vision, the international relief and development non-governmental organization, to support surgeries, transplants, rehabilitation treatments, and care for children with disabilities, viral infections, and congenital rare intractable diseases both domestically and internationally.
"I have two daughters, ages three and four, and as a father, it's heartbreaking to think about how hard it must be for so many children to get sick and not have enough money to pay for treatment," JYP said. "I wanted to do something to help keep the will of these children and the parents who watch over them strong, which made me decide to make the recent donation to the five hospitals so that the money could go directly to the children who need it."
JYP stressed that he made the donation official as he wanted his fans to join him in a good cause.
SMC, one of the hospitals receiving the donation, announced that it plans to use the funds for surgeries, transplants, rehabilitation, and other treatment costs for pediatric and adolescent patients under 24 in Korea.
Professor Lee Woo-yong, Director of SMC's Cancer Center, also said, "We are grateful for the donation to help children and adolescent patients who are enduring difficult times due to economic difficulties, and our medical staff will do their best to treat and heal them."