BTS star J-Hope donates ₩150m to children’s charity on his birthday

BTS star J-Hope has donated ₩150m (roughly £100,000) to charity on his birthday today (18 February).

The money has been given to ChildFund Korea to support children with vision and hearing disabilities, as per NME. 

Last year, the South Korean musician – real name Jung Ho-seok – also donated  ₩100m (approximately £65,005) to ChildFund Korea to help children affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

NME reports that J-Hope had told South Korean media: “I heard that a number of families in vulnerable situations is increasing significantly due to the prolonged Covid-19 crisis, and support for disabled children is urgently needed.

“I hope this donation will further expand social interest in supporting children with disabilities.”

In 2019, J-Hope also donated ₩100m to ChildFund Korea in support of sick children. The year before, the 27-year-old donated ₩150m to provide financial assistance to low-income students attending his former high school in Gwangju city.

As reported by NME, ChildFund Korea’s chairman Lee Je-hoon has thanked the rapper for his donations, stating that “his good influence is leading to increased inquiries in [donations] by both domestic and foreign ARMY [a nickname for the band’s global fanbase]”. 

Last summer, BTS donated $1m (£789,000) to Black Lives Matter following the murder of George Floyd in May.

READ MORE: BTS named Time magazine’s Entertainer of the Year 2020

The group’s donation was subsequently matched by cumulative donations from their fans around the world.

Pro-wrestler and actor John Cena also matched BTS’s donation, writing on Twitter: “Very happy to join #BTSARMY in efforts to match BTS’ tremendous donation #ARMYMatch1M.”