Winter and Year-End Red Pots... How Did the 'Gusegun Street Fundraising' Begin?

The Salvation Army is a Protestant denomination... The charity kettle campaign began in 1891 in San Francisco, USA

A Salvation Army charity kettle fundraiser is encouraging citizens to donate money in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Every December, red Salvation Army charity kettles can be seen throughout busy downtown areas. Commonly known to people as a welfare organization, the Salvation Army is actually a denomination of Protestant Christianity.

It began in 1865 when William Booth, a Methodist pastor in London, England, and his wife Catherine helped the unemployed and poor while conducting missionary work. The Salvation Army valued caring for marginalized neighbors as much as missionary work, and today it carries out welfare and charity projects in 133 countries worldwide.

The Salvation Army, Modeled After the Military... 'Charity Kettle' Project Started to Help the Poor

As the name suggests, the Salvation Army is a religious organization but operates with a military-style organizational structure. Each country with a Salvation Army is called a "territory," the head of the territory is the "commander," clergy are called "officers," and members participating in relief activities are called "sergeants" and "soldiers." The leader is referred to as the "general."

To become clergy, one must graduate from the "Salvation Army Officer Training College," equivalent to a seminary. They also wear uniforms modeled after the British Victorian-era military attire.

The Salvation Army originally started under the name "Christian Mission," but from 1878, it adopted the name Salvation Army. It is known to have introduced a military-style system with strong organizational power as a motto to effectively and efficiently carry out aid for the poor. The name Salvation Army carries the meaning of an army that saves the world and defeats social evils, not a warring military force.

Volunteers of the Salvation Army charity kettle are collecting donations in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The Salvation Army’s trademark charity kettle project began in 1891 in San Francisco, USA. At that time, a Salvation Army officer struggling to save urban poor hung a large pot with the phrase "Let's keep this pot boiling," which evolved into today’s charity kettle project.

In Korea, charity kettle fundraising first started on December 15, 1928, in Myeongdong, Seoul, and this year marks its 94th anniversary. Starting with the opening ceremony held at Seoul Plaza on the 1st of this month, the Salvation Army will conduct charity kettle fundraising at 360 locations across 17 cities and provinces nationwide until the 31st. The fundraising goal for this year is 6 billion KRW.

In the past, donations were made by putting cash into the charity kettles, but recently, as card usage has become common, donations can also be made digitally via postpaid transportation cards, Zero Pay, and other methods. The Salvation Army’s collected funds are used to support vulnerable groups, welfare, and relief projects.

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