Leveraging the "Dujjonku" Craze, Blood Supply Quickly Recovers to Recommended Level... Blood Donation Centers Bustling

On the 23rd, chewy Dubai cookies to be given to whole blood and platelet donors were placed at the Busan Blood Donation Center in Seomyeon. Photo by Yonhap News

Every winter, the blood supply inevitably faces a "warning light."

This is because the number of visitors to blood donation centers noticeably decreases due to the cold wave and the overlap with winter vacation.

However, the atmosphere has changed a bit recently.

As the chewy Dubai cookie, known as "Dujjonku" and extremely popular among the younger generation, was offered as a blood donation gift,

blood donation reservations surged, and the blood supply quickly returned to normal levels.

Blood Supply Returns to Recommended Levels Thanks to Dujjonku Gifts

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According to the Gwangju-Jeonnam Blood Center of the Korean Red Cross on January 28, the current blood supply in Gwangju and Jeonnam has risen to an average of 5.3 days' worth.

This figure exceeds the Ministry of Health and Welfare's recommended standard of 5 days' supply.

Just a few days ago, the situation was different. Before the Dujjonku giveaway event began, the blood supply in the region was only 3.5 days' worth.

This was due to a decrease in group donations during winter vacation, as well as the impact of the cold wave, which heightened concerns about supply instability.

To address this situation, the blood center organized a temporary event on January 23, offering Dujjonku cookies to donors.

The results were immediate.

On the day of the event, there were 1,181 donors in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions.

This is 2.3 times the daily average number of donors last year, which was 523.

In particular, the number of donors at blood donation centers reached 1,002 in one day, 2.6 times higher than usual,

and at some centers, the number of reservations, which typically averaged 20 per day, soared to 100 in just one day.

Citizens were pleased to receive the highly sought-after Dujjonku with a single blood donation,

and the blood center was able to overcome the blood shortage, making it a win-win situation.

As Nurses' Efforts Became Known... Busan Small Business Owners Also Stepped Up

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This trend is spreading to other regions as well. In Busan, local cafes are directly donating Dujjonku cookies to support the cause.

The Busan Blood Center of the Korean Red Cross announced on January 27 that, after hearing about the additional Dujjonku giveaway event for donors held on January 23,

local cafes voluntarily participated in the donation.

The participating cafes include "Cookiedam" in Seo-gu, "The Fanning" in Yeonje-gu, and "Day Off Day" in Busanjin-gu.

Kim Kahyun, CEO of Cookiedam, said, "I was concerned after reading an article stating that Busan's blood supply is lower than other regions,"

"After hearing that nurses personally visited cafes to collect cookies, I wanted to help in any way I could," she added.

A representative from the Busan Blood Center stated, "The voluntary participation of local small business owners has become a great encouragement to donors."

Donate Blood and Get Dujjonku... This Winter's "Good-Hearted Open Run"

During the blood donation off-season, Busan Blood Center held a promotion on the 23rd at 13 Blood Donation Centers, offering "Dujjonku" to whole blood and platelet donors. The photo shows citizens waiting to donate blood at the Busan Blood Donation Center Seomyeon branch. Photo by Yonhap News

This case is significant not just because "blood donations increased thanks to a cookie,"

but because it pinpointed exactly what appeals to the current generation.

In the winter, when blood shortages are common, this campaign has transformed blood donation from something people "have to do" into something they "want to do."

The more people participate in blood donation, the greater the chance of saving someone's life, making this truly welcome news.