Aespa and Stray Kids were among the K-pop bands who pledged donations to support victims of an apartment fire in Hong Kong that killed at least 128 people in one of the city’s deadliest blazes, as per reports.
According to a report by news agency AP, girl group aespa have shared on their official Weibo account that they will donate 500,000 Hong Kong dollars (Rs 0.574 crore) to the Hong Kong Red Cross. “We express our deepest sorrow regarding this heartbreaking news,” the band said.
Stray Kids, on the other hand, have pledged 1 million Hong Kong dollars (Rs 1.148 crore) through World Vision Hong Kong for temporary housing and other support for children and residents who have suffered from the incident, according to AP.
“We were all very heavy-hearted upon hearing the unfortunate news from Hong Kong,” Stray Kids members said in a joint statement.
Two of South Korea’s biggest entertainment companies, SM and JYP Entertainment, have donated a sum total of 3 million Hong Kong dollars (rs 3.45 crore) for emergency relief and disaster recovery.
Other K-pop groups that offered support to the victims include boy bands Riize, EXO-CBX and KickFlip. They have contributed 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (Rs 0.1148 crore) through World Vision Hong Kong.
Organisers of the Mama Awards, the annual K-pop awards ceremony scheduled on Friday and Saturday in Hong Kong, became the subject of criticism by netizens in South Korea for not cancelling the event for the fire incident.
The red carpet events on the two days of the awards ceremony have been cancelled, South Korean entertainment company CJ E&M said. But the main ceremony will still proceed, they added.
“We express our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in the fire in Hong Kong,” CJ E&M said in a statement.
As per AP, the company said the awards would add a “Support Hong Kong” message and include time for mourning. The organisers have also pledged to donate 20 million Hong Kong dollars (Rs 22.96 crore) to the support fund established by the Hong Kong government.
“We believe in the healing and solidarity power of music,” the company added in their statement.