This Man Donates Electric Fans in Summer and Electric Heating Pads in Winter

Lifestyle Appliance Company Lahenne Korea CEO Park Geun-young
Connected with Gangdong-gu as an Operating Committee Member of the Youth Development Association

This summer was unusually humid and sweltering. The scorching heat, with temperatures soaring around 35 degrees Celsius daily, briefly subsided due to Typhoon Khanun, the sixth typhoon of the season, but the harsh memories of the heatwave remain vivid.

On the 20th of last month, when the first heatwave warning of the summer was issued, 250 fans, 20 dehumidifiers, and 16 small refrigerators were loaded onto a truck and left through the back gate of the Gangdong District Office in Seoul. These appliances were prepared by the district office to support low-income elderly residents and those living in semi-basement homes. The Welfare Policy Division of the district office purchases or receives these items through donations and distributes them to local community centers that have assessed the demand. Welfare officers then contact households enduring the summer without proper fans or refrigerators to provide the appliances.

Since 2021, Gangdong-gu has been expanding its “Gangdong-type 10% Happiness Sharing Project” annually to support cooling and heating appliances. This year, La Henne Korea, a home appliance company located across the street from the Gangdong District Office, stepped up as a sponsor. Selling fans, vacuum cleaners, and blenders under the brand name “La Henne,” the company donated 20 fans and supplied 230 fans and 20 dehumidifiers to the district office at cost.

Park Geun-young, CEO of La Henne Korea (41), who felt embarrassed by the small quantity, said, “I have seen my parents volunteering since I was young, and having received much help around me while running my business, I decided to donate and volunteer whenever I have some spare resources.” On the 19th of last month, Park donated 800 fans to the Seoul Social Welfare Council, and earlier, also provided fans for the “Dokdo Festival” held in Ulleung County, Gyeongbuk.

CEO Park Geun-hyung of Lahenne Korea, who sponsored fans for the annual "Gangdong-style 10% Happiness Sharing Project" conducted by Gangdong District Office, and employees are taking a commemorative photo with Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong District Office (front row left). The mayor visited the company on the 27th of last month to express gratitude for the sponsorship. (Photo by Lahenne Korea)

Park’s formal relationship with Gangdong-gu began in 2019 when he served as an operations committee member of the Korea Youth Development Association’s Gangdong branch. The Youth Development Association engages in volunteer activities to help underprivileged youth in the area, and through this connection, Park donated masks in 2020 and 2021 and joined the effort again this time.

Although busy running his business, Park has a considerable history of volunteer work. Through his connection with actor Baek Bong-gi (42), who was the exclusive model for the La Henne brand, he began activities with the Dokdo Love Movement Headquarters and has served as vice president for two years. He is also conducting fundraising campaigns for the construction of Dokdo Land. He consistently donates to organizations for the disabled, the Community Chest of Korea, and the Red Cross.

For his contributions to donations for vulnerable groups and support of the Dokdo Love Movement Headquarters, Park was selected as a “Beautiful Taxpayer” by the National Tax Service in 2021 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Park said with a smile, “My immediate goal is to steadily grow my business and achieve sales of 20 billion won while continuing to donate. In winter, I plan to donate electric blankets to help warm the community.”