Wando Hometown Love Donation Gifts
"Gross" or "Fun"? Mixed Reactions Online
The abalone-themed thank-you gifts offered by Wando County, South Jeolla Province, as part of the Hometown Love Donation Program-where individuals donate to their hometowns and local governments use the funds for resident welfare-are drawing attention. Donors can receive benefits such as tax deductions and thank-you gifts, and donations are allowed to any local government except for the donor's place of residence (both basic and metropolitan municipalities). The annual donation limit is 20 million won.
Abalone cushion gift received when donating abalone to Wando County through the Hometown Love Donation Program. / Hometown Love e-Eum, online community screenshot
The thank-you gifts from Wando County are primarily local specialties, especially abalone. Other options include live abalone, semi-dried fish sets, and experiences such as the Pony Healing Experience, where participants can feed animals including ponies.
Among these, the "Wando Abalone Mini Cushion and Keyring Set" has become particularly popular. The set is designed to closely resemble real abalone, making it difficult to distinguish from the actual shellfish. The product description notes, "At first glance, it may surprise you; look closer and you'll grow fond of it; once you hug it, you'll fall in love."
Online reviews from people who donated to Wando and received the abalone cushion set have gone viral. One user wrote, "I donated to Wando through the Hometown Love Donation Program and received the abalone keyring and cushion. They're even more 'realistic' and absurd than I expected," sharing actual photos of the items.
The photos show the abalone shell sparkling as if real water droplets are on it. The unique color combination and details resembling barnacles are also visible. The body of the cushion mimics the abalone's mottled patterns, adductor muscle, mantle, and radula, making it strikingly similar to the real thing.
Abalone cushion thank-you gift received when donating abalone to Wando County through the Hometown Love Donation Program. Screenshot from an online community.
Online users have shared a variety of reactions, commenting, "It looks like they put a lot more thought into this than the usual generic thank-you gifts," "It's so realistic that it's funny and will probably be entertaining to use," "Are they actually giving out real abalone?" and "It looks like it might even smell fishy."
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