Canadian teacher promises he’ll keep helping orphan get costly medicationShortly after starting elementary school, little Esther Park was given a choco pie to eat ― a treat that could have seen her hospitalized with a twisted intestine.The orphan from Jeonju has a medical condition that means she cannot eat solid food and must have monthly injections costing 250,000 won each. Esther’s contact with

Korean and Japanese high school students are to bridge long-standing boundaries between their nations this summer by making a film. The Processing Together charity-funded project is to bring eight Japanese students to meet eight of their Korean counterparts in Seoul. The kids are to learn about the historical, cultural, and social crossing-points between their two countries by making a film, funde

Korean female pro golfers joined forces with a champion fighter to help those in Japan affected by the devastating quake and tsunami last March.According to the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association, golfers participating in the Rush n Cash Charity Classic donated 50 million won ($45,800) to Japanese Koreans affected by the quake.The golfers asked world renowned Ultimate Fighting Championship

A poker tournament is one of several events taking place May 27-29 at Rhythm & Booze in Bucheon to raise money for underprivileged children.“Raising Hope: A Fundraiser to Help Underprivileged Children Get Ahead” is presented by Rhythm & Booze and BaboPromos. Participants in its poker tournament must pay an entry fee of 50,000 won, and a maximum of 50 can take part. The tournament starts Saturday,

A charity auction to raise cash for abandoned animals will be held in a Busan bar Saturday. The night to raise funds for Busan Abandoned Pet Sanctuary is to be held at the Wolfhound bar, in Haeundae. Bidding will start at 11 p.m. with prizes on offer including a steak dinner at Sharky’s restaurant, as well as meals at Ono in Haeundae. Burger & Pasta and Paris restaurants in Gwangan are also donati

People wishing to help kids in Korea are asked to contact orphanages through the Korean Kids and Orphanage Outreach Mission. KKOOM’s website in both English and Korean offers contact information for orphanages who may be seeking helpers across Korea. The organization advises prospective volunteers to contact orphanages in their local areas with offers to teach English or play with children, and KK

Entries to the 2011 Voice for Freedom Songwriting Competition should be submitted by Friday. The contest aims to select a song on the theme of freedom to feature on the “Free Burma: Dedicated to Freedom” album to be produced in Taiwan. The competition is open to all Asia residents aged between 18 and 35 years old, who can submit completed songs of six minutes or less. Songs can be in any language

This Saturday is international volunteer day for an orphanage near Seoul. Angel House is looking for happy volunteers to donate some time to help the 50 kids living at the home northwest of Seoul. No previous training or experience is required for the helpers asked to chip in to clean the house, wash clothes, make food and have fun with the children. Foreign volunteers should bring their ARC card

K-pop stars JYJ and actress Han Hye-jin are to perform at Park Ji-sung’s charity soccer match in Vietnam. The game to be played at a stadium in Ho Chi Minh city on June 15 will be the first ever Asian Dream Cup organized by the Korean soccer star’s charity foundation. JYJ are to perform at half time at the match against Navibank Saigon, and are also to participate in a Vietnamese boy’s soccer sess

An animal rights group has said it will stage an anti-fur protest at Fendi’s Seoul fashion show if the Italian designer thwarts the city government’s ban on fur on the catwalk. Government officials told the Italian fashion house Monday to remove all fur items from a show of its fall/winter collection due to complaints from animal rights groups. But Fendi said it would negotiate with city officials

Bikers will hold a rally as part of a festival to raise funds for a Korean children’s center. The third annual Angels Ride is to hit the road in Daejeon on May 28. Up to 40 bikers from Daejeon Riders motorcycle club are expected to take part in the sponsored ride before lining their bikes up in downtown Daejeon. Expats from bike clubs from Gumi and Daegu are also set to join the event along with m

Mother of many keeps open house at girls’ home in SeoulLike any good mother Chyung Eun-deuk worries for her kids as they grow up and prepare to leave the nest. “Just after 18 is an important and very dangerous age for girls,” she told The Korea Herald. “A girl has a lot of things to think about after school-graduating age.”For example, will she be able to complete college, find a job and money to

Korea’s first exclusive English-language performance space improves stage accessExpat theater-lovers in Korea no longer have to suffer noisy drinking holes while enjoying plays thanks to a new English-language venue in Seoul. Until now, poor access to theater spaces meant actors were often obliged to deliver lines against background clatter from cashiers and glasses in busy bars-turned-stages.But

The House of Sharing is seeking long-term volunteers. The support and information center for Korean comfort women is especially keen to hear from people who can help translate documents from Korean to English and vice-versa. The House operates both as a museum and as a home to the survivors of sexual slavery at the hands of the Japanese military during World War II.The center also invites people t

International volunteers are to hold a peace-promoting project in Korea’s Gangwon province this August. The initiative is to work with local children in Hwacheon, near the DMZ. International volunteers will visit the area Aug. 1-13 to help promote Pahoro village as a memorial place for peace. For the first week, the volunteers aged between 18 and 35 will organize activities for local students at a

Volunteers are being sought to help kids at a Seoul hospital on May 21. Volunteers are invited to help prepare medical kits and spend time with young patients at St. Mary’s Hospital in Gangnam. People with an interest in music, magic or arts are especially welcome to take part in the regular volunteer event organized by the Yeoksam Global Village Center. Volunteers wishing to help out from 10 a.m.

A training day for people wishing to campaign for North Korean Human Rights is to be held on Saturday. The Justice for North Korea Volunteer Orientation Program is to hold a Korean-language workshop in Seoul. A similar English orientation to learn from people already fighting for North Korean human rights was held on May 7. The orientation is to run from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the first floor of K

Three cabaret nights are to be held to help musical-lovers in Korea support good causes. The events have been organized by the Seoul Players in the expat theater group’s biggest outreach initiative to date. The English-language fundraisers are to feature numbers from hit musicals including “Rent,” “Wicked,” “Into the Woods” as well as many more Broadway favorites. All songs will have a connection

Canucks in Seoul is set to raise cash for moms and babies at a celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday. The third annual Canadian Community BBQ is to raise funds to help unwed mothers and their children. The event organized by the Canadian Women’s Club, is to be held on Friday, May 27. The Victoria Day Backyard BBQ is to offer food, music and Canadian trivia from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Canadi

The Community Chest of Korea is to set up citizens’ monitoring committees to keep tabs on the recently-disgraced charity’s actions. Officials at the nation’s only government-sanctioned charity told the Korea Herald the scrutinizing committees were to be set up at the CCK’s central office in Seoul as well as at the organization’s 16 other regional offices.The monitoring groups are to evaluate donat