BTS member j-hope (real name Jung Hoseok) celebrated his 32nd birthday in a meaningful way.
Instead of giving gifts to himself, he donated 100 million won (around $70,000) to support students at his alma mater.
On February 18, the donation was announced by the child welfare organization Green Umbrella. It will provide scholarships to students facing financial difficulties at Gwangju International High School and Jeonnam Girls’ Commercial High School.
j-hope has been consistently donating since 2019 to support struggling students. Every year on his birthday, he has given scholarships to help students pursue their dreams despite financial hardships.
The “J-HOPE Scholarship” program started in 2019 when he made his first 100 million won donation. That year, 25 students from both schools became the first recipients. Students from his alma mater received 1 million won each, and students from Jeonnam Girls’ Commercial High School received 500,000 won each.
One recipient said at the time that they hoped to one day give back to future students, just like j-hope.
Through this donation, the BTS rapper became the 14th member of Green Umbrella’s elite donor group, the “Green Noble Trinity Club.” The group recognizes donors whose cumulative contributions exceed 1 billion won.
Hwang Young-ki, chairman of Green Umbrella, thanked j-hope for “showing love to underprivileged children” and hopes his “generosity leads to a bright future for these children.”
Since 2018, he has donated through Green Umbrella to help vulnerable groups in Korea and overseas. In 2018, he gave 150 million won to support children with talents in arts and sports and those in need of medical care. In 2019, he donated another 100 million won in scholarships to his alma mater and 100 million won for children’s medical support. In 2020, he contributed 100 million won to help children facing financial hardship due to COVID-19.
In 2021, he donated 150 million won to children with visual or hearing impairments, 100 million won to children affected by violence in Tanzania, and 100 million won for heating and medical costs for underprivileged children.
In 2022, he gave 100 million won to help flood victims in central Korea and joined the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association’s Honors Club. In 2023, he donated 100 million won to children affected by the Türkiye-Syria earthquake and pledged 10 million won annually to his hometown, Gwangju Bukgu.
In 2025, he supported victims of the Jeju Air flight crash with 100 million won and gave 200 million won to the Children’s Hospital of Seoul Asan Medical Center.
With his 2026 birthday donation, j-hope’s verified cumulative giving through Green Umbrella alone now exceeds 1.4 billion won (around $1 million).
On the work front, BTS prepares for their fifth full-length album, “Arirang,” due on March 20, 2026. The group will then embark on their global “ARIRANG” tour, performing 81 shows across 34 cities between 2026 and 2027.