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Former footballer Ahn Jung-hwan pledges to donate 436 million won from YouTube earnings

Published: 12 Apr. 2026, 18:34 Updated: 13 Apr. 2026, 13:03

Ahn Jung-hwan, a footballer-turned-broadcaster [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Ahn Jung-hwan, the Korean footballing icon-turned-broadcaster, said he will donate the entire 436 million won ($294,000) in earnings from his YouTube channel.

“When I first started YouTube, the purpose was to donate my talent and share what I have with children as long as my body allows,” Ahn said in a pre-released episode of tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block” (2018–) aired Saturday. “As I continued, I thought about helping kids in more difficult situations, and that’s how it grew to this point.”

“Many friends and older and younger colleagues are working as coaches, and there are many kids in difficult environments,” he continued. “Playing football costs a lot of money. I also didn’t grow up in a well-off situation, so I thought it would be good to help. What started small has continued until now.”

Ahn runs the YouTube channel “Ahn Jung-hwan 19.” The channel has 637,000 followers as of April, five years after launching.

“We are trying to reach 500 million won, but it’s not easy," Ahn said. "There are many challenges, but we are doing our best, so we ask for your support.”

Ahn, who scored two goals, including the golden goal against Italy, in Korea’s run to the semifinals at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, has been active as a broadcaster since retiring from football.

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.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]