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| ▲ This photo, provided by Namhae-gun, shows ATEEZ's Choi San. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Mar. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean boy band ATEEZ’s Choi San has donated 5 million won to his hometown Namhae, the county in South Gyeongsang Province announced Monday.
The singer, who received 30 percent of his donation as a local gift, expressed his intention to donate again through his father, asking him to use the gift for local residents of the county where he was born and raised.
Choi San is known for his love and admiration for his county as he formerly introduced himself as the “very first celebrity from the Treasure Island in the county of Namhae.”
In addition, the singer was also named a public relations ambassador for the county in 2021 and 2022, which were designated as the years to visit the county. As a child from Namhae, the singer actively promoted the county nationwide.
“As I became aware of the purpose of the donation, I was reminded of my childhood when I first dreamed of becoming a singer,” Choi San said. “I hope the donation will be used for Namhae teenagers who try their best to realize their dreams.”
He also added, “I hope that more will get to know our county with the increasing attention on this hometown love donation system.”
Meanwhile, Jang Chung-nam, the head of Namhae, responded, “We appreciate Choi San’s warm heart, and we will make sure to use all of his precious donations meaningfully for regional development projects and youth welfare projects to develop Namhae into an exquisite county.”
The hometown love donations system enables individuals to donate up to 5 million won per year to areas outside of the residential district per resident registration.
Donors are provided with a full tax credit of up to 100,000 won (16.5% for those who go beyond the full tax credit) along with local gifts.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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