Youth Volunteer Group 'We Are One' Launches Largest-Ever Blood Donation Campaign with 70,000 Participants

After a 3-Month Marathon, Domestic Blood Supply Emergency Expected to Be Resolved This Year

The youth volunteer group We Are One (We Are One, CEO Hong Junsu) announced that it will carry out the ‘LifeON YOUTH ON Blood Donation Campaign’ aiming for a record-breaking 70,000 blood donations over three months at blood centers located in 17 metropolitan local governments nationwide.

The ‘LifeON YOUTH ON Blood Donation Campaign’ is a campaign launched by the youth volunteer group We Are One from the 27th for three months to resolve the blood supply shortage caused by the resurgence of COVID-19 and the decrease in blood donations during the vacation season. If the unprecedented scale of 70,000 blood donations is completed as planned, the domestic blood supply is expected to be stably maintained until the end of this year.

According to the Blood Donation Statistics Yearbook, last year’s blood donation performance was 2.6 million cases, down 0.3% from the previous year, showing a continuous decline from 2.88 million cases in 2018 to 2.79 million in 2019 and 2.61 million in 2020. In particular, in February when Omicron spread, the domestic blood stock fell to less than three days, far below the normal stock of five days, causing a blood supply emergency.

As the unstable blood supply situation continued until the stabilization of COVID-19, the number of designated blood donations, where patients and guardians directly seek donors for urgent surgeries, has also surged. The number of designated blood donations, which was 77,151 cases in 2020, doubled to 142,355 cases in 2021 compared to the previous year.

According to the Blood Management Headquarters of the Korean Red Cross, blood supply is affected by seasonal factors, especially in August, when blood supply decreases due to vacations, holidays, and hot weather, causing the stock to drop to 3.5 days. In addition, due to the resurgence of COVID-19 and the early Chuseok holiday, stable blood donation supply is urgently needed.

In response, We Are One CEO Hong Junsu said, “As the blood stock rapidly decreased after COVID-19, I have seen many cases on SNS where patients and guardians directly seek blood donors to undergo surgery and treatment immediately,” adding, “In an unpredictable situation of COVID-19 spread, we decided to carry out a large-scale blood donation of 70,000 people to stabilize the blood supply.”

On the 27th, Park Kihong, Director of the Blood Donation Promotion Bureau at the Blood Management Headquarters of the Korean Red Cross, who visited the Korean Red Cross Eastern Blood Center in Nowon-gu, Seoul, explained, “August is a particularly difficult time for blood supply as the number of donors decreases due to school vacations and office workers’ holidays. Currently, blood stock is maintained at about four days, and type O blood is at about three days, reaching a dangerous level.”

He continued, “‘70,000 blood donations’ is an enormous number not only in Korea but also worldwide and is beyond imagination. We appreciate the large-scale blood donation event during the most difficult time, and thanks to this campaign, I think an atmosphere will be created where concerns about blood donation will decrease until the end of this year.”

On the first day of the campaign alone, about 3,500 We Are One members nationwide visited local blood centers to participate in blood donation, and about 2,700 of them completed the donation. All blood donation certificates and donation rights secured through this 70,000 blood donation campaign will be donated to places in need in each region.

We Are One has prepared a way for the general public who want to participate in this meaningful activity called the ‘world’s largest blood donation’ to join as ‘honorary members.’ We Are One stated, “Including honorary members, the current number of blood donation applicants has reached 100,000. Like the volunteer group’s name ‘We Are One,’ we will all cooperate and strive to overcome the difficulties of our society.”

Meanwhile, the youth volunteer group ‘We Are One,’ launched on July 30 with a total of 90,000 members including 70,000 domestic and 20,000 overseas, recently visited areas affected by flooding due to heavy rain and carried out flood recovery volunteer work.