The World On arirang

Trends are changing in Korea's giving/donating culture. We explore benevolent cycles of happiness being driven by altruistic activities in Korean society.

Korea's donation culture is changing. Previously, donations were one-time gifts  collected mostly by the government and corporations. But today's giving is more  individualistic, and people are aware that the smallest donations can go a long way. As online donating grows, more people are doing their part to improve the world.

*Online donation, bringing giving closer
Online donation systems played a large role in expanding individual giving. Donation sites and social networking sites are at the core of all this, and the trend is expanding to social commerce, online shopping and online gaming sites. Donating is now easier and the process more transparent. As younger folks join the donating culture, sums have become smaller and more accessible. Donating has become an everyday part of Korean culture.

*The sum of small efforts
Today's donating culture can be analyzed as the creation of large differences through the collection of small efforts. The employees of a Seoul pharmaceutical company spend their lunch hour knitting for African children suffering from hypothermia. They tell heartwarming stories about how they first picked up knitting needle

*Donation = Money? The donation of talent
The donation of talent is also becoming widespread. Moon Seong-sil, a power blogger, receives 20,000 hits daily and thousands of comments for every entry she posts. These days, she is especially interested in donations that will help children. She used her culinary talents to raise money to build a school for child flood victims.

There are many examples of non-monetary donations. The Sejong Ggumnamu Harmony Orchestra, in which children from low-income families receive sponsorship for instruments, was able to practice at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and learn under Lee Seon-yeong, former conductor of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. We look at how the donations of organizations and people changed young lives.

Korea's donation culture has gone from being passive to aggressive and active. What is donation's new place and role in society today? We explore the happy legacy of Korea's donation culture through the stories of those who give and those who receive.