[One Day Ten Thousand Steps, One Day One Thousand Characters] Singer 'Sean' Donates 81.5km Marathon Again This Liberation Day

The international housing welfare nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity Korea is starting recruitment for the ‘2023 815 Run’ to improve the living conditions of descendants of independence activists. The ‘815 Run’ is a charity marathon held in celebration of Liberation Day (August 15) to express gratitude to independence activists and convey a positive message, “It will be alright, Republic of Korea!” Since its inception in 2020, 9,610 participants have joined over the past three years, raising approximately 2.3 billion KRW in donations, which have provided homes for eight families of independence activists’ descendants so far.

This year, the event aims to recruit a record number of 8,150 participants. Participants can walk or run a set distance (3.1 km / 4.5 km / 8.15 km) at their preferred time and location. The distances symbolize significant dates: 3.1 km represents March 1st (Samiljeol), while 4.5 km and 8.15 km represent the year 1945 and August 15th, respectively. Registration is open on the Habitat for Humanity Korea website until August 7, and the participation fee of 50,000 KRW will be fully used for improving the housing conditions of independence activists’ descendants. Participants will receive a North Face 815 Run T-shirt and cap, a finisher’s medal, a race bib, and Kakao Friends character Chunsik patches.

Seon and 7hojip owner Shin Jae-sik couple
[Photo by Korea Habitat]

Among participants who run the 8.15 km distance, 815 will be selected by lottery to run alongside singer Sean on Liberation Day. Sean posted on his social media, “On August 15, Liberation Day, I will run 81.5 km,” adding, “We run together for the better lives of independence activists who fiercely ran risking their lives, leaving behind their beloved families, and for the families and descendants who endured their noble sacrifices.” Last year, Sean completed the 815 Run’s 81.5 km in 7 hours, 27 minutes, and 24 seconds. Sean and 45 pacers ran in teams of five.

Kakao will hold the event ‘Everyone’s Action to Remember 8.15’ on its donation platform ‘Kakao Together’ throughout August. During this period, each time someone participates in the 815 Run or adds a Taegukgi (Korean flag) sticker to their KakaoTalk profile, 815 KRW will be donated.

Singer Sean promoting the 2023 815 Run of Habitat Korea
[Photo by Habitat Korea]

Last year’s 815 Run event received donations from 71 sponsoring companies and participation fees from 3,500 individual participants, along with personal donations totaling 1,083,078,000 KRW, all of which were donated to Habitat for Humanity Korea. From 2020 to 2022, over 9,500 runners, 125 pacers, and 161 sponsoring companies participated in three editions of the 815 Run, raising approximately 2.03 billion KRW in funds.

Earlier, on June 6, Sean co-hosted the ‘6.6 Walking Event’ with Habitat for Humanity Korea, raising a total of 425 million KRW in donations. The event was part of the ‘Honor House’ campaign for improving housing for Korean War veterans, organized by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Korea Housing Finance Corporation to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the armistice agreement. The target number of steps through the step-donation platform Big Walk was 727 million steps, which was exceeded, leading the Korea Housing Finance Corporation to donate 405 million KRW. Additionally, participation fees from 1,000 individual participants were added, bringing the total to 425 million KRW. These funds will be used for housing improvement projects for war veterans.