Korea: An Actress, Her Good Deed & Her Family History

A popular young actress who is called the 'national star' due to her naivete, humble attitude, and good acting, Moon Geun-young is famous for making donations to society. She usually hides her good deeds from public view. This month a welfare organization, exposed that she donated 850 million won (1 US dollar= 1,500 won) for 6 years in public. Her family history was also introduced by the media for the first time. 

Under the condition of being the actress, she promised her family to share her earning with the poor and organizations, such as North Korean aid organizations. Her grandfather was in prison for more than 30 years as a political prisoner and communist and her family members were victimized in the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. While the media tended to introduce her good deed and her family story as a sad part of Korean history, it leads to unexpected reactions. Some netizens praise her good deed and feel sorry for her family story. But the history seems to still linger around now. Some politicians regard this action as a dangerous element in terms of political security and other netizens interpret this scandal in diverse ways.

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