Hope Bridge Releases Report Analyzing Changes After Major Wildfires
A Hope Bridge official is visiting the wildfire damage site to comfort the disaster victims. Hope Bridge
The Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association (Chairman Song Pilho) announced on June 20 that it had released a report analyzing changes in disaster awareness and response methods in Korean society following the massive wildfires that struck the Ulsan, North Gyeongsang, and South Gyeongsang regions in March.
This wildfire was a large-scale disaster that resulted in 30 deaths, the destruction of 3,000 homes, and damage to more than 100,000 hectares of forest?an area equivalent to about 80% of Seoul. Approximately 10,000 volunteers were deployed to the scene, and companies, celebrities, and citizens participated in donations on a large scale, resulting in the largest national fundraising total ever recorded. The government urgently allocated 1.831 trillion won for recovery, and significantly strengthened its response system by introducing firefighting helicopters and new equipment.
According to the report, there were clear changes in public awareness and behavior before and after the wildfire. In the past, people tended to view disasters as matters for the government or others to handle. However, after the wildfire, a consensus emerged that "disasters are everyone's concern," as citizens participated directly in the response.
In the case of Naver Happybean, only nine organizations participated in fundraising during the Uljin wildfire in 2022, but by 2025, about 40 organizations had joined, and the focus of fundraising expanded from relief and recovery to include support for daily living, assistance for people with disabilities, and climate research. According to fundraising data from Hope Bridge, individual donations to Hope Bridge via Naver Happybean and Kakao Together Value also increased significantly. While the number of donations decreased by 91% compared to the 2022 Uljin wildfire due to the sharp increase in fundraising organizations, the average donation per person rose by 3.6 times.
An employee of Hope Bridge is holding an emergency relief kit for wildfire victims and posing for a photo. Hope Bridge
Celebrity participation in donations also became more active. Celebrities not only made donations but also shared information about the disaster and called for others to join, demonstrating a sense of social responsibility and action. This led to more cases of fan clubs participating in donations and a rise in public interest, spreading what is known as a "positive influence."
In response to heightened public interest in disasters, Hope Bridge has set strategic goals such as expanding prevention-focused education and campaigns, advancing relief and recovery systems, ensuring transparent donation management, and establishing its role as a professional institution. The association plans to launch a nationwide wildfire prevention campaign in earnest. In addition, it will strengthen an integrated relief system that goes beyond short-term aid to include temporary housing, psychological and medical counseling, and livelihood support.
Shin Hoon, Secretary General of Hope Bridge, said, "Through this wildfire, we realized that disasters are not just a problem for certain regions, but a matter for everyone," adding, "We will build a sustainable response system that enables prevention, relief, and recovery to be carried out in an integrated manner."
The Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association supported a total of approximately 434,000 relief items in response to the wildfires that occurred in Ulsan, North Gyeongsang, and South Gyeongsang in March.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
