The Dhading area, about a 90-minute drive west of Kathmandu, Nepal, on Aug. 30, four days after devastating floods struck the country.BYUN MIN-CHUL
When a K-pop fan surnamed Park donated to flood recovery efforts in Geoje and Tongyeong last month, they listed the donor's name not as their own, but as their favorite group's: Rescene.
Park was moved to give after seeing that Rescene itself had donated 50 million won ($37,200) to the flood-hit areas — one of many contributions from fans that have added up to more than 110 million won in flood recovery funds. "Rescene is made up of members from various regions, so it was hard to look away from the damage in the southern region this summer," Park said. "I'm glad that not just singers, but fandoms too, can join in spreading a positive influence."
As natural disasters have struck in quick succession both at home and abroad, donations have followed not only from celebrities but from the fans who join their good deeds. While disaster relief donations in the past were mainly driven by companies and organizations, "fandom donations" — in which fans voluntarily join their favorite celebrities' charitable giving — have increasingly become a major part of the country's donation culture.
"When I heard that Lee Know had donated 100 million won to help people affected in Nepal, I joined in with a small donation of my own," said a fan of K-pop boy group Stray Kids. "Since I could choose a name when I received the donation certificate, I picked the fandom name 'Stay.'"
Baek Seung-min, a fan of virtual singer and YouTuber Hebi, also donated about 4 million won in total recently to relief efforts for flooding in southern Korea and the major flood that occurred in Nepal, listing the donor's name not as their own but as their most-favored idol. "After seeing my favorite artist donate during last March's wildfires in the Yeongnam region, I've kept donating to disaster sites ever since," Baek said, referring to the Gyeongsang provinces and neighboring metropolitan areas. "It feels even more meaningful because it goes beyond simply handing over money — it's a way of returning, with a warm heart, the joy I've felt through the artist to someone else."
ResceneTHE MUZE ENTERTAINMENT
A screen capture shows a donation to flood recovery efforts in Geoje and Tongyeong made last month by a K-pop fan surnamed Park, who provided the image.JOONGANG ILBO
Fandom donations were also active during the massive wildfires that swept the Yeongnam region in March last year. The fires destroyed about 104,000 hectares (256,990 acres) of forest across Ulsan, North Gyeongsang and South Gyeongsang, and caused roughly 2 trillion won in property damage. K-pop groups including IVE, Seventeen and NCT each donated hundreds of millions of won to help with recovery, and their fandoms followed suit with their own donations, posting proof on social media to help spread what fans called "positive influence."
“Recently, deokjil — enthusiastically following a particular interest and collecting or delving into things related to it — has evolved beyond simple consumption, encouraging individuals to take a more active role in charitable giving," the Community Chest of Korea said in its “Giving Trends 2026” (translated) report, released in January. “Fandom-based giving is a prime example of maximizing the joy of giving, as fans come together and share with others in support of someone or something they love."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
