Hope Bridge and Woowa Brothers Provide Medical Support for Young Restaurant Owner Injured in Burn Accident

A young restaurant owner who received support for burn injury treatment expenses through the "Elegant Boss Care Fund." Hope Bridge

Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association (President Lim Chaecheong) announced on October 10 that it has provided financial support for burn injury treatment to a young restaurant owner who suffered an accident, through the "Elegant Boss Care Fund," a mutual growth program operated in partnership with Woowa Brothers, the operator of Baemin, and Bong & Sul Initiative.

The recipient, a young restaurant owner identified as Mr. Lee, suffered a deep second-degree burn on his arm in April while working, when hot ginger syrup was accidentally spilled. The medical expenses amounted to approximately 10 million won, and without private health insurance, he faced significant financial difficulties until he received support from the Care Fund.

Mr. Lee stated, "Thanks to the Elegant Care Fund, I was able to continue hospital treatment and rehabilitation. Although it was an extremely difficult situation, the support reduced my financial burden and allowed me to keep running my restaurant."

The "Elegant Boss Care Fund" was established with a pledged donation of 10 billion won from Woowa Brothers founders Kim Bongjin and Seol Bomi, as well as additional contributions from Woowa Brothers. Restaurant owners with a median income of 140% or less, or with annual sales of 300 million won or less, are eligible to apply, and up to 17 million won per year in medical expense support is available.

Since 2022, the number of restaurant owners who have received support has surpassed 1,100. On average, 2.89 million won has been provided per person, helping to ease the burden of medical expenses and contributing to the stabilization of their livelihoods.

Shin Hoon, Secretary General of Hope Bridge, said, "The role of the Care Fund is to support restaurant owners so they can keep their businesses running even in unexpected crises. We will do our utmost to ensure that more restaurant owners can continue their livelihoods with peace of mind."