Inje County in Gangwon Province reported that its Hometown Love donations totaled 217 million won as of November 9, marking a 16% increase compared to the same period last year. The county has added three local food items as gifts for donors and is using the funds to operate a city tour bus service.
Based on the fundraising data provided by Inje County on November 11, the amount raised during the same period last year was approximately 187 million won, indicating an increase of about 30 million won this year. The total amount raised last year was 364.86 million won, with 51.5% collected in November and December. The annual performance for this year will depend on the remaining fundraising efforts at year-end.
The newly registered gift items include ghee butter, gomchwi dumplings, and gomchwi rice cakes. Ghee butter is a clarified butter with moisture and milk solids removed. The dumplings and rice cakes are made from gomchwi, a plant cultivated by local farmers in Inje. Existing gift options have been expanded to include processed foods such as dried pollack, omija syrup, and Hanwoo beef sets.
As part of its first project funded by the Hometown Love donations, Inje County launched a city tour bus service in September. The service connects tourist attractions and village experiences through two routes, including Baekdamsa Temple and Naetgang Village. The fare of 10,000 won is refunded in Inje Love gift certificates, encouraging tourists to explore the village and spend the refunded certificates locally.
The county is also conducting a year-end donation campaign until December 31. Donors contributing 100,000 won or more to Inje County or designated donation projects will automatically be entered into a drawing for gifts. The first 100 participants will receive 4 kg of Cheonhwang rice, while an additional 200 will be selected through a lottery to receive 10,000 won worth of Naver Pay.
Kim Jang-woong, head of the Regional Development Division in Inje County, expressed hope that the new gift items will broaden donor choices and help expand the market for local businesses.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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