MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / K-POP NEWS

'IU Best Girl': K-pop star organizes $700K donation on 13th debut anniversary

The ‘Nation’s Sweetheart’ and has constantly used her influence to help the underprivileged

Born as Lee Ji-eun, IU is one of the most iconic soloists of K-pop. Having debuted at the age of 15, she’s been in the industry since 2008. Along with several hit albums like ‘Modern Times’ and ‘Lilac’, she also has a successful acting career with K-dramas like ‘Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo’ and ‘Hotel del Luna’ under her belt. She also rules international as well as domestic charts and is known to be a ‘digital monster’ as she wins almost every time she is nominated on a music show. And now she has organized a donation of more than $700K on the 13th anniversary of her K-world debut.

IU debuted on September 18, 2008 on the music show ‘M Countdown’ with the lead single ‘Lost Child’. Since then she has dominated the industry, is dubbed as the ‘Nation’s Sweetheart’ and has constantly used her influence to help the underprivileged.

The K-pop star was an honorary senior police officer and an ambassador for National Police Agency’s anti-bullying in school campaigns. She has also continuously donated to NGOs and has established a scholarship at her alma mater high school. She is also the youngest person to have made it into Forbes list of ‘Asia’s 2019 Heroes of Philanthropy: Catalysts For Change’.

READ MORE
Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia: From IU and Hwasa to Jackson Wang, all K-pop and K-drama stars who made it to list

TIME mag picks best K-pop songs of 2021, list has IU and rookies like aespa, STAYC

IU donates on her 13th anniversary

In fact, for her 11th debut anniversary, IU donated around $250K to different organizations for the vulnerable and elderly. And when the global pandemic started last year, she donated money to the Korea Disaster Relief Association and medical pieces to aid those at the frontline of the epidemic. As for 2021, she has donated to organizations helping single parents and grandparents raising children. She also gave around $420K to NGOs for cancer, single mothers, the elderly, the disabled and children. Well, it looks like she was only getting started. 

Three months after these donations, on September 17, it was revealed that IU had organized a donation of $723K (850 million won) worth of goods for the underprivileged in lieu of celebrating her 13th debut anniversary. Her agency, EDAM Entertainment shared that she had got the brands she uses, models for and is an ambassador of to contribute to this cause. Additionally, IU has also personally paid for half of the goods - approximately $362K. The agency also released a list of the donations:

1,000 pairs of New Balance sneakers to teenagers who are nearing the end of their allowed time at shelters 
2,000 Banolim pizzas for children and teenagers in shelters 
2,000 coats and winter gear from BLACKYAK for children and teenagers in shelters ahead of the winter season 
300 Evezari blanket and bedding sets to health centers 
2,000 first aid kits from Kyungdong Pharmaceutical to health centers 
30,000 bottles of Jeju Samdasoo Water to health centers

'IU Best Girl'

Her fans were touched as they trended ‘IU Best Girl’ and called her an angel with posts like, “Now that’s what you call a BRAND AMBASSADOR! Can you imagine being able to unite all these companies and put all their items into good use? Only @_IUofficial could do that! I STAN AN ANGEL! IU BEST GIRL!” “Our girl has donated around 850 million won worth of goods in the occasion of her 13 debut anniversary. And I really like the fact that how our genius iu has played a number game to do that, 8+5+0 =13 yrs. i'm very lucky to have a cute great-hearted,genius idol like her,” and “IU using her brand ambassador influence to do charity , we need more selfless kpop idols like IU.” “People you must know that BEFORE SHE RELEASED HER ALBUM SHE DONATED 100M WON & IN HER BIRTHDAY SHE GAVE ALSO 500M WON & NOW 850M WON Nation sweetheart for a reason,” pointed out another fan.