In Yeongam County Health Center, located in Yeongam County, Jeollanam-do, children are waiting for treatment. The image is provided by Yeongam County Office.
As the Hometown Love Donation Program enters its second year, it has evolved beyond merely offering tax deductions and thank-you gifts, establishing itself as a solution to aid local governments facing extinction.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 26th, as of the previous day, the cumulative donation amount of the Hometown Love Donation Program reached approximately 71 billion won, with 620,000 donations. Last year’s fundraising amount was surpassed by October, and the reaction is so enthusiastic that the waiting time to access the Hometown Love e-Um website is over a minute at year-end. This program allows donors to contribute to regions where they do not currently reside, and local governments use the collected donations for the welfare of residents.
Specifically, designated donations, which became possible in June, played the most significant role in spreading the cultural practice of Hometown Love donations. Designated donations allow local governments to specify the use of donations for local community projects. Donors experience a sense of fulfillment in directly contributing to regional development as they donate to projects selected by the local government.
The first designated donation project supported the “Jeongsan Township Table Tennis Training Equipment and Competition Participation Fee Support Project” in Cheongyang County, Chungnam. They highlighted that Jeongsan Elementary, Middle, and High Schools are the only ones nationwide with table tennis teams across all grade levels and successfully raised 50 million won, reaching their target in 71 days to support the table tennis team with high-end training equipment. Jeongnam County, Jeollanam-do, which had no pediatrics since 2004, opened a pediatrics department with donations and is promoting the establishment of a public postnatal care center through designated donations.
Recently, local governments are using the Hometown Love Donation Program for disaster recovery. Anseong City, Gyeonggi Province, proclaimed a special disaster area due to last month’s heavy snowfall, causing severe damage, has started a designated donation under the slogan “Help Anseong, 8 fatalities, 182.7 billion won in damage due to the heaviest snowfall in 117 years.” Seocheon, Chungnam, is accepting designated donations to fund the reconstruction of the Seocheon Specialty Market, which was completely destroyed by fire last January.
Designated donations not only receive local specialties but also instill pride in preventing regional extinction. Even small amounts can effectively address educational and medical voids in regions, enabling high-value donations.
Compared to when the Hometown Love Donation Program was first implemented last year, there has been an increase in novel thank-you gifts that attract donors. Last year, Yeongam County’s “Dinner Date with a National Champion” and “F1 Circuit Experience Voucher” received a positive response. This year, Geoje County in Gyeongnam offered ultralight aircraft experience vouchers and grave-cleaning helper discount coupons, gaining attention. Buk-gu, Gwangju, selected lectures and counseling services by Gwangju native and professional gamer Yoon Ha-woon, who has claimed the League of Legends Championship MVP, as a talent donation thank-you gift.
Kim Chul, head of the Balanced Development Promotion Division of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, “The Hometown Love Donation Program goes beyond the one-dimensional level of donating 100,000 won and receiving 130,000 won in return, providing pride in possessing another hometown and creating a new future for extinguishing regions together with citizens,” adding, “Donations will likely continue as the most certain way to support regions from a broader perspective, beyond individual gains.”
Meanwhile, as of now, donations up to 100,000 won can receive a full tax credit, and donations exceeding 100,000 won can receive a tax credit of up to 16.5%. Municipalities provide thank-you gifts, including local specialties or vouchers usable only in the local region, within 30% of the donation amount. Starting next year, the annual individual donation limit, currently 5 million won, will be increased to a maximum of 20 million won.