Actress Shin So-yul and actors from Dante Entertainment have put their hearts into a meaningful cause, participating in a home-building volunteer project for the descendants of independence activists.
Habitat for Humanity Korea, an international non-profit organization dedicated to housing welfare, announced that it held a home-building volunteer event for the families of independence activists in partnership with Dante Entertainment on May 15.
The volunteer event saw participation from Shin So-yul, a promotional ambassador for Habitat for Humanity Korea, as well as Dante Entertainment actors Kim Sa-kwon, Moon Da-eun, Shin Yong-seok, Ahn Seol-ah, and the agency's staff. They actively contributed to the housing improvement project by helping with construction tasks, including framing work.
This volunteer project was conducted for the family of the late patriot Moon Man-dong, an independence activist, who currently resides in South Chungcheong Province. The family had been living in an aging container-style house, which reportedly suffered from severe issues such as drafts, poor insulation, and overall structural deterioration, raising concerns about their safety.
The late patriot Moon Man-dong participated in the April 4 Independence Movement in the Daehoji and Cheonui Market areas of Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, in 1919. It is known that he suffered great hardships, including being arrested and receiving 90 lashes during the large-scale anti-Japanese protests that spanned approximately 7km.
"It is heartbreaking to face the reality that the descendants of those to whom we owe our today—people we should always remember and be grateful to—are living in such poor housing conditions," Shin So-yul said. "It was an incredibly meaningful time to be on-site as a promotional ambassador, witnessing Habitat for Humanity Korea taking the lead in improving their living standards." She added, "I hope for a day when more descendants of independence activists can spend their daily lives in safer and warmer new homes."
Dante Entertainment also stated, "It was meaningful for our actors and staff to come together and participate in this volunteer project to express our gratitude to those who dedicated their lives to our country."
A representative from Habitat for Humanity Korea remarked, "We are deeply grateful to Dante Entertainment and the actors who readily participated despite their busy schedules. We hope that interest in the housing improvement campaign for descendants of independence activists will expand throughout society."
Meanwhile, Habitat for Humanity Korea is the Korean branch of the international non-profit organization Habitat for Humanity, which began in the United States in 1976 and was established in Korea in 1994. With a vision of "a world where everyone has a decent place to live," the organization has been carrying out various housing welfare projects for vulnerable social groups.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)