
Jung Yunho of DBSK has created a new hallyu wave, encouraging fans to help those in need.
It all started in February of 2008 after Yunho's 22nd birthday. Many fans had spent their own money to send birthday gifts to Yunho such as laptops, digital cameras, etc. However, Yunho later sent a message to his fanclub that he could not accept these gifts, stating that he was grateful for the fans' love and that he was cherished.
He asked, "Wouldn't it be better if the things the fans gathered with their loving hearts were given to others who needed a bigger helping hand? I think that if the presents could be distributed to those fostering their dreams under harder circumstances, (the fans') feelings will be used more nobly." It was also discovered that Yunho had been rejecting fans' birthday gifts all this time.
Now, two years after sending this message out, a new hallyu wave has been created. One of his fanclubs, "Be with Yunho", recently fundraised and donated 10,000,000 KRW to South Korea's Social Welfare Organization. Not only that, but local Japanese fans have also donated more than 5,000,000 KRW to Haiti victims under Yunho's name.
These donations don't only come from Japanese fans, but throughout Asia, showing Yunho's immense popularity. There have been such cases where Chinese fans donated supplies to poor students in Korea, as well as donation and volunteering activities done in Thailand and Korea under Yunho's name.
As a birthday present this year for Yunho's 24th birthday, fans have made numerous donations under his name, including a fundraiser that raised over 40,000,000 KRW.
Fans looking up to and following Yunho's steps in donating to the needy isn't just a one-time occassion. The Korean fandom is evolving into one where fans follow their idols closely, doing charitable acts under their name helping those in need in replace of material gifts for their idols.

s: Newsen + Newsis.com
trans: mandasoh @ tohosomnia.net & annneonet @ lj
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