Stray Kids' Bang Chan [JYP Entertainment]
Stray Kids' Bang Chan [JYP Entertainment]

Stray Kids member Bang Chan donated 300 million won ($221,000) on his birthday, Oct. 3, his agency JYP Entertainment said Sunday.

Bang Chan donated 100 million won each to three organizations — Hear Cycle, the international aid NGO World Vision, and the East Asian Seas Community Ocean (OSEAN) — for a total of 300 million won. The three-way split was a nod to the number three, his birth date.

The funds will go toward Hear Cycle's medical and social reintegration support for young people with hearing loss, World Vision's dream scholarship program and tailored development support for children and teenagers from low-income and vulnerable households, and OSEAN's coastal and marine cleanup and river restoration activities.

"It is meaningful to be able to share even a small part of my heart across so many areas that need a helping hand — from children's dreams to the very environment we live in," Bang Chan said through his agency. "I hope my sincerity reaches those who need it most and helps us all dream of a better tomorrow together."

Bang Chan has donated consistently every year. In September, he gave a combined 200 million won — 100 million won each to Seoul Rehabilitation Hospital for the construction of a specialized rehabilitation center tailored to patients' ages and conditions, and to UNICEF Korea for relief efforts following the Nepal floods. His donations this year alone total 500 million won.

On his birthday last year, he donated a combined 200 million won — 100 million won to Samsung Medical Center to cover treatment costs for pediatric patients, and 100 million won to UNICEF Korea for global child welfare. On his birthday in 2024, he gave 100 million won to the Community Chest of Korea to support people with developmental disabilities, earning him membership in the organization's high-donor club, the Honor Society.

Bang Chan co-leads 3RACHA, Stray Kids' in-house producing unit, alongside Changbin and Han. The trio holds copyright on 245 songs under the Korea Music Copyright Association — the most of any K-pop idol group. Albums they produced for Stray Kids have topped the Billboard 200 for nine consecutive entries, a feat unmatched by any artist who debuted after 2000.

Bang Chan recently drew attention after Stray Kids chose not to submit their work for consideration at the Grammy Awards, where the group had been widely tipped to win in the newly created Best Afrobeats category. At a comeback press conference in August, he said the group had never set award wins or chart records as a goal when releasing an album. "We want to show and prove through our album 'THIS & THAT' that we can do it all," he said. "That is our biggest goal and dream. Making our fans satisfied and happy is our top priority."


shee@heraldcorp.com