He revealed why he wanted to donate.
Koreaboo
On December 29, 2024, Muan International Airport, South Korea witnessed a tragic plane crash that killed 179 people out of 181 on board. The accident occurred when a Jeju water the passenger plane collided with a wall while attempting to land and caught fire.
Since then, South Korea has been mourning the lives lost in this deadly accident. Many celebrities have donated to help the bereaved families affected by the terrible accident. Among those celebrities was ZEROBASEON‘S Gunwook.
Before his birthday, Gunwook reportedly donated ₩10.0 million KRW (approximately $6,870 USD) to support the bereaved families of the Jeju Air Flight 2216 plane crash. In the statement released on record, he explained that he wanted to express his condolences rather than celebrate his birthday.
Gunwook donated 10 million won to the bereaved families of the Jeju plane crash
in view of his birthday, more than sharing his personal happiness, he wanted to express his sincere condolences to the people affected by the accident 😢🫳 https://t.co/eVhCZVNEDz
— Mom Gunwook (@bbopgw) January 7, 2025
Netizens were shocked that a novice idol personally donated. Unfortunately, some netizens accused Gunwook’s actions of “attention seeking,” although some negative posts have been deleted.
Usually donations from non-veteran idols are made under the group’s name, so many knetz were surprised and admired that Gunwook donated personally despite being a rookie 💙 https://t.co/XTfIGkHtpf pic.twitter.com/nH5OBCEtuU
— gunwook ilysm🖤 (@kingunwook) January 7, 2025
I’m so happy that Gunwook is using his platform well. the first rookie who showed concern for the people who participated in the protests recently and now he is also the first rookie to donate for the victims of the Jeju incident. and it’s not out of character for him because he’s always been so outspoken https://t.co/SEsGVuyWAn
— xienne ★ birthday wookie (@nootwookay) January 7, 2025
this is so embarrassing because imagine thinking that Gunwook is an attention seeker and a weirdo for donating and helping families who lost their loved ones. You’re so sick in the head it’s crazy I can’t believe people like you actually exist https://t.co/WSqwvzXPTA
– Mars! (@rikfiles) January 7, 2025
Fans jumped to Gunwook’s defense when the criticism began. They pointed out that it is in Gunwook’s character, as he is known to be kind and generous.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but really when you know even a little bit about Gunwook it’s not at all surprising that he donated his money to help people
—ki ★ (@gwjangz) January 7, 2025
I’m still so angry that that person made fun of Gunwook’s donation. As people died, a ZEROSE died on that plane. I’m sorry, but it’s so important to us. It’s heartbreaking and for someone to say they did it for attention, and make it look cheap is so wrong
— marish 🎁 | ZB1 PRESENT (@marishzb1) January 7, 2025
such a generous personal donation for a rookie idol who only debuted a year and a half ago, a true testament to his kind heart 💙 thank you gunwook and hope you have a wonderful birthday 🫶
I love that he always showed us who he is through his actions 🥹 https://t.co/lzc79ivEcm pic.twitter.com/guGeeeVYtc
— gunwook ilysm🖤 (@kingunwook) January 7, 2025
Now, Gunwook himself appears to have leveled criticism at his donation.
He recently held a live broadcast to talk to fans. Gunwook revealed the reason for the donation, explaining that he wanted to sincerely express his condolences. He had no ulterior motives and only argued with his parents and his agency rather than its members.
As for the donation… I did it because I wanted to. Rather than talk about it too much or make a big deal out of it, I simply donate in response to something unfortunate that happened before my birthday. My heart felt heavy, so I wanted to express my condolences. It was something I did with good intentions, so I hope you can accept it as it is. There was no hidden meaning behind it; it was just a way to express my feelings. We had discussions beforehand. I didn’t tell the members about it; I only consulted with a small group of company employees and approached my parents with the idea of making a donation. They were really happy with it, so I proceeded with confidence.
— Gunwook
🧸 about the donation… I did it because I wanted to. instead of talking about it too much or saying this and that, I just donate because something unfortunate happened before my birthday. I felt heavy, so I wanted to express my condolences.
🧸 it was simply… pic.twitter.com/ZtgNm6DSXq— Caro (@myearnine) January 8, 2025
Gunwook hopes to have a positive influence as an idol. He expressed gratitude to his fans who followed in his footsteps.
The reason I wanted to become an idol, beyond just donating, is because I had realized the importance of influence. I wanted to be a positive influence, impact someone’s life or my fans’ life and give them energy. Seeing how my donation inspired KKOBEOGUS and ZEROSE to show support and even join my intention really touched me, so I wanted to thank you. As proud as you all are of me, having done this to you also makes me incredibly proud of KKOBEOGUS and ZEROSE.
— Gunwook
🧸 the reason I wanted to become an idol, beyond just donating, was because I understood the importance of influence. I wanted to be a good influence, impact someone’s life or my fans’ life and give them energy.
🧸 seeing how my donation brought…— Caro (@myearnine) January 8, 2025
Read more about the idols who donated below.
Celebrities who donated the most to Jeju plane crash victims
