Son Heung-min's Talent Donation ... The Real Star of This Year's Christmas

Korean Tuberculosis Association Publishes 'Towards Dreams! Towards the World! With Son Heung-min~'
Interest Grows Over Whether 2020 'Pengsoo' Donations Will Exceed 2.9 Billion Won

The Korean National Tuberculosis Association issued the 2022 Christmas Thread 'Towards Dreams! Towards the World! Christmas Thread with Son Heung-min.' Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] Son Heung-min (30, Tottenham), the national representative of celebratory songs in South Korea, is gaining attention as the model for the Christmas Seal amid the World Cup fever.

The Korean National Tuberculosis Association issued the 2022 Christmas Seal titled "Towards Dreams! Towards the World! Christmas Seal with Son Heung-min." Even before the official sales began, interest was already high, and the association expects to reach its donation goal of 3 billion KRW.

Son Heung-min was selected as the main figure through a Christmas Seal material contest last February and decided to participate as the model, sympathizing with the fundraising purpose. The Christmas Seal has been available since the 1st of last month at donation stores and post office counters nationwide. Schools can purchase them by making donations, and recently, sales have also started at GS25 convenience stores.

In accordance with the Tuberculosis Prevention Act, the association set a fundraising target of 3 billion KRW for this year with approval from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and plans to conduct intensive fundraising until February next year. They also expect sales to increase significantly as interest in the World Cup grows, especially after the Korean team’s first match.

Every year, the Christmas Seal features a prominent figure who becomes a topic of conversation. In 2020, "Pengsoo" raised 2.9 billion KRW, and in 2021, Yoo Jae-suk from the TV entertainment program "How Do You Play?" appeared as the model, raising 1.9 billion KRW.

The funds raised from Christmas Seal sales are used as resources for tuberculosis eradication. They support the detection and treatment of tuberculosis patients in vulnerable groups, encourage treatment for student tuberculosis patients, conduct tuberculosis bacteria testing and research, and provide aid to underdeveloped countries. Last year, the number of new tuberculosis patients in South Korea was 18,335, less than half of the 39,557 patients recorded ten years ago in 2011, but the incidence rate remains the highest among OECD member countries.

Introduced in Korea in 1932, the Christmas Seal became a nationwide fundraising campaign after the founding of the Korean National Tuberculosis Association in 1953. However, with the decline in postal usage, the usage rate of the seals and fundraising amounts decreased, and there were criticisms that schools forced students to buy them. In response, efforts are being made to transform the campaign to suit the internet and mobile era.

This year, a "keyring" type Christmas Seal will also be sold. Featuring Son Heung-min’s image, the design harmonizes with a silicone soccer ball shape. An association official explained, "Along with the paper seals, we introduce new formats every year, and this year we produced a keyring type," adding, "The keyring format has been especially popular among students who donate through schools."

Additionally, a free "Christmas Seal Mobile Card" service is being offered, allowing users to send messages via KakaoTalk, text messages, and more. Various past Christmas Seals, including the Son Heung-min seal, can be attached to messages. Next month, an offline "popup store" will also be launched to provide seals and collect donations.

In this way, the association plans to actively utilize the retro trend popular among young people to promote the campaign more vigorously and attract donations. An association official said, "Some young people are unfamiliar with the existence of Christmas Seals," and added, "We are exploring various ways to bring Christmas Seals closer to the younger generation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.