The Korea Herald

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Muscled firemen calendar raises W1b for burn victims over decade

By No Kyung-min

Published : March 6, 2024 - 13:13

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2024 calendars featuring shirtless firefighters (GS Retail) 2024 calendars featuring shirtless firefighters (GS Retail)

A charity project to support survivors of fires who suffered burns by raising money from sales of calendars featuring muscular firefighters has raised more than 1 billion won ($750,000) over its 10-year span, Seoul’s fire department said Wednesday.

The 10th edition of the “momjjang” or "great body" calendar, on sale from November to January, generated 96 million won in revenue and donations, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters. The money was delivered to the Hallym Burn Foundation, a social welfare organization, and will be used to support the medical expenses of burns victims.

The latest edition featured 13 robust Korean firefighters, chosen through a contest held the previous May in Seoul.

Since its first edition in 2014, a total of 109,856 copies of the calendars were sold, providing a combined financial assistance of 1.09 billion won to 249 individuals afflicted by burn injuries, the fire authorities said.

For the 2024 calendar, photographer Oh Joong-seok did the photo shoot, while GS Shop and 10x10 managed the retail distribution of the calendars.

Aside from retail sales, the project received monetary support from various sources, including the South Korean baseball club LG Twins, Hallym University medical center and the nonprofit organization Community Chest of Korea, officials added.

2024 calendar featuring a shirtless firefighter (10x10) 2024 calendar featuring a shirtless firefighter (10x10)
2024 calendar featuring a shirtless firefighter (10x10) 2024 calendar featuring a shirtless firefighter (10x10)