Aid Pours Into Disaster-Hit Geoje From K-pop Group, Companies, Donors

GEOJE — Support is flowing in from inside and outside the region for Geoje in South Gyeongsang Province, which was designated a special disaster zone after heavy rains during the Liberation Day holiday caused extensive damage. Contributions of cash and goods have come from sources ranging from a girl group serving as a city ambassador to companies and anonymous donors.

The city of Geoje said on the 25th that the girl group RESCENE delivered 16,200 units of Nalfd Cider, made by Dong-A Otsuka, to encourage flood victims and volunteers on the ground. The drinks were handed out to volunteers carrying out recovery work in the heat and to affected residents.

Earlier, after three days of downpours starting on the 15th caused flooding and landslides across the Geoje area, RESCENE delivered 50 million won ($36,000) in the name of its fan club, REMINE. As word of the group's gesture spread, REMINE fans also joined the giving voluntarily. RESCENE was appointed an official Geoje city ambassador in May this year, helped by the fact that member Wonyi is a Geoje native and by the buzz around its promotional content.

The Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its member companies visited Geoje City Hall on the 24th and donated 150 million won ($108,000) for residents affected by the rains. The total included 20 million won from the Changwon chamber, 50 million won from LG Electronics, 30 million won from Hyundai Wia, 20 million won from the Good Day Sharing Foundation, 20 million won from Beomhan Group and 10 million won from Kyungnam Steel. The funds will be channeled through the Community Chest of Korea's South Gyeongsang branch and used to repair flooded homes and damaged facilities.

The National Credit Union Federation of Korea's social contribution foundation also delivered 50 million won for recovery in the Geoje and Tongyeong areas. The amount combined 10 million won raised voluntarily by credit unions in the South Gyeongsang and Ulsan regions with 40 million won from the foundation. The money will be used through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to help affected residents stabilize their livelihoods and return to daily life.

An anonymous donor who has repeatedly given without disclosing a name whenever disasters strike also added 5 million won. On the afternoon of the 21st, a box containing 5 million won in cash, a single chrysanthemum and a handwritten letter comforting affected residents was left in front of the office of the Community Chest of Korea's South Gyeongsang branch. The donor called the office only to say, "I am leaving a box in front of the office," before departing. The donor has sent money along with a chrysanthemum and a handwritten letter each time a disaster has occurred at home or abroad since 2017. Cumulative donations, including this one, are said to exceed 760 million won.

Geoje is launching a hometown-love fund program called "Geoje Local Half-Price Day" to help farms hit by the floods and to ease residents' grocery costs. Under the scheme, when consumers buy local farm produce at a 50% discount, half of the difference is reimbursed to producers through the hometown-love fund. The events run every Tuesday and Friday through December at the Geoje Local Nuri Center direct-sales stores (Gohyeon and Aju branches). Seasonal produce and processed goods selected each week are sold at half price, either individually or in bundles.

The city is operating an integrated disaster recovery support headquarters around the clock and concentrating its administrative resources on recovery.