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Koreans donate for ferry disaster victims

Posted April. 25, 2014 03:10,   

한국어

I’m a police officer at Pohang Bukbu Police Station. As a government official, I feel so painful whenever I think about the drowned students. I send all of my monthly salary in April with a hope that such an incident would never happen again. -- From Choi **

I am a mother of Han-sol and Han-hee from Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun District, Seoul. I couldn’t eat because I felt so guilty while watching the Sewol ferry disaster. I am sending the money that I saved by skipping meals and praying for them. -- From Bang **

I am a young inmate at the Correctional Institute of Vocational Training in North Gyeongsang Province. I want to donate money that I saved for four years while working here. Please let me know where to send the money. -- From Kim **

While Korea is in deep sorrow in the wake of the ferry disaster, more and more Koreans are extending their helping hands to the victims and their families.

Internet users are raising funds on Internet portal sites to help the victims of the disaster voluntarily. As of 4 p.m. Thursday, 99,603 internet users donated 331.41 million won (318,810 US dollars) to Naver’s Happy Bean drive and 55,393 users donated some 200 million won (192,400 dollars) to Daum’s Hope drive. The funds will be sent to Hope Bridge of Korea Disaster Relief Association and used for purposes where the bereaved families want.

Aside from Naver and Daum, Hope Bridge also runs other funds with World Vision, Save the Children, Korea Federation of Teachers’ Association, and Food for the Hungry. A source from Hope Bridge said, “A total of 820 people sent us around 900 million won (865,800 dollars) as of 9 a.m. Thursday. Police officers, prison inmates, and mothers have sent us letters with money.”

The Community Chest of Korea, which is also raising funds for the victims, had raised over 2.3 billion won (2.2 million dollars) from all across the country until Thursday morning. The Korean Committee for UNICEF said, “We raised around one billion won (960,000 dollars) as of Thursday.”