K-Pop Artists Like Stray Kids and Aespa Step Up to Help Hong Kong Tower Fire Victims
K-pop group aespa, along with several other South Korean artists, has announced significant donations to assist victims of a devastating apartment fire in Hong Kong that claimed at least 128 lives, marking one of the city’s deadliest incidents in recent memory.
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Girl group aespa announced their commitment to donate 500,000 Hong Kong dollars (approximately $64,000) to the Hong Kong Red Cross, as shared in a post on their official Weibo account. The group expressed their condolences, stating, “We express our deepest sorrow regarding this heartbreaking news.”
Similarly, Stray Kids pledged a donation of 1 million Hong Kong dollars (around $129,000) through World Vision Hong Kong for temporary housing and assistance for affected families and children. “We were all very heavy-hearted upon hearing the unfortunate news from Hong Kong,” the group remarked.
Major South Korean entertainment companies SM and JYP Entertainment combined their efforts to donate 3 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $385,000) toward emergency relief and disaster recovery efforts.
Other K-pop acts, including boy bands RIIZE, EXO-CBX, and KickFlip, each contributed 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $12,900) through World Vision Hong Kong.
The organizers of the upcoming MAMA AWARDS, a prominent annual K-pop awards ceremony set for November 28 and 29 in Hong Kong, have faced backlash online for deciding not to cancel the event in light of the recent tragedy.
In response to the situation, South Korean entertainment company CJ E&M canceled the red carpet events but confirmed that the main ceremony would still take place. The company extended its condolences, stating, “We express our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in the fire in Hong Kong.” They also announced plans to incorporate a “Support Hong Kong” message into the awards show and allow time for mourning. Additionally, CJ E&M pledged to donate 20 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $2.6 million) to the government-established support fund.
“We believe in the healing and solidarity power of music,” the statement concluded, highlighting the role of music in times of crisis.
