Hometown Love Donations Surpass 150 Billion Won, Concentrated in Wildfire-Affected Areas

130% Growth Compared to 2023... 1.39 Million Donations
98% of Donations Under 100,000 Won Benefit from Tax Deductions
18.4 Billion Won Donated to Wildfire-Affected Areas in March-April Last Year

It has been tallied that the amount raised through the Hometown Love Donation Program in 2025 has surpassed 150 billion won. This program allows individuals to donate a certain amount to regions other than their place of residence and receive local specialties in return, aiming for balanced regional development.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on January 2, the total amount raised last year was 151.5 billion won, which represents an increase of about 130% compared to 65.1 billion won in the program's inaugural year of 2023, and about 70% higher than 87.9 billion won in 2024. The Ministry interprets this as evidence that the Hometown Love Donation Program is establishing itself as an effective tool for balanced regional development.

Through the Hometown Love Donation Program, which encourages individuals to donate a certain amount to regions other than their place of residence in order to promote balanced regional development and receive local specialties in return, 151.5 billion won was collected last year alone. Photo by Yonhap News Agency, Ministry of the Interior and Safety building.

The number of donations reached approximately 1.39 million, up about 80% from the previous year's 770,000. The sales of return gifts, which contribute to expanding the market for local specialties, also reached 31.6 billion won, a 54% increase from 20.5 billion won in 2024, showing year-on-year growth in all key indicators.

By age group, donors in their 30s (30%) and 40s (28%) accounted for more than half of all donations, followed by those in their 50s (25%) and 20s (10%). In terms of donation amount, donations of 100,000 won or less made up about 98% of the total, indicating that the full tax deduction benefit for donations up to 100,000 won played a significant role in encouraging participation.

In particular, donations were concentrated in areas that suffered from massive wildfires early last year. Eight local governments, including Sancheong in South Gyeongsang Province, Ulju in Ulsan, and Andong in North Gyeongsang Province, were declared special disaster zones due to severe wildfire damage in the spring of last year. From March to April 2025, these regions raised 18.4 billion won through the Hometown Love Donation Program, about 2.3 times more than the 7.9 billion won collected during the same period in 2024.

Yoon Hojoong, Minister of the Interior and Safety, stated, "The achievements of last year are above all thanks to the people who actively expressed their love for their regions through donations," and added, "In 2026, we will further spread the culture of giving through continuous institutional improvements and promotion, so that the precious intentions of the public can continue to revitalize local communities."