Korean super-star Lee Min-ho’s fundraising platform Promiz, that has so far donated some 400 million won ($340,000) to organisations such as UNICEF and Food Bank, gained a recognition that it well deserved by winning the Korea Good Brand Awards.
The state-sponsored Korea Good Brand Awards recognize brands that have a high level of confidence among customers.
Lee’s agency MYM Entertainment said the project has donated about 350 million won in cash and 50 million in products to various organisations such as the Holt Children’s Services, UNICEF and Food Bank.
Founded in 2014, Promiz came up with projects involving Lee’s fans. It operated the nonprofit ‘Good Market’ that saw all profits going to charity, Kpop Herald reported. Promiz’s web platform ‘Knock’ donates 100 won (8 cents) per new subscriber to the website and aims to surpass 100,000 subscribers, it noted.
In one of its projects, Promiz along with Unicef Korea and Lee’s fans celebrated World Water Day on March 22 by donating about $42,400 to buy 6.5 million water-purification tables for more than half a million children, thus preventing waterborne diseases.
Project Promiz isn’t alone. To mark the tenth anniversary of his debut as an actor, Lee was involved in a project in Inner Mongolia where he and his fans planted 510 trees. Lee’s Mexican fans gathered used bottles and bottle caps and donated profits from the collection to young leukemia patients, Chinatopix reported.
Lee told the Inquirer: “My goal is to change perception about giving money for charity. A lot of people still think that this is only for the rich. I used to think like this, but this isn’t true. Begin by donating the smallest amount you can afford. You’ll soon realize how easy it is to support worthy causes.
#Lee Minho #eider pic.twitter.com/wb0YD4OZsm
— ANYO (@m_anyo) May 15, 2016