Philanthropy
Park Shin-hye has been engaged in volunteering organized by the church with her family since she was a child, taking part in initiatives such as the "Babfor Sharing Movement" and Habitat for Humanity. She expanded her philanthropic efforts after entering the entertainment industry through Starlight Angel Project.
In 2007, Park donated her talent for the omnibus drama Several Questions That Make Us Happy. The drama's proceeds, excluding production costs, were donated, including the fees of the writers, directors, and actors. The drama aimed to emphasize the significance of volunteering in a challenging social environment. It involved notable writers such as Noh Hee-kyung, Lee Sun-hee, and Seo Hee-jung, and was directed by Sung Joon-gi, with KBS producers Kim Yong-soo and Hong Seok-gu overseeing the project.
In late 2009, Park travelled to Tapatali village in Nepal, for a six-day visit. During her stay, Park distributed school supplies to children in need, helped break and carry stones for those working in the quarry, and dressed up as Santa Claus to give special Christmas gifts to the villagers. This volunteer experience was featured in the KBS Love Request year-end special broadcast 'Home Winter Love'.
In 2010, Park participated in CeCi magazine's "I Love Pet" campaign to celebrate the magazine's 16th anniversary. The campaign promoted adopting abandoned dogs through organizations like 'Animal Freedom Solidarity' and supported service animals through the 'Animal-assisted Therapy Welfare Association', which provides emotional therapy for disabled children with trained animals.
In 2011, Park became a public relations ambassador for "Korea Food for the Hungry International" (hereinafter referred to as KFHI). As part of her role, she volunteered in Ghana for 8 nights and 9 days in May. During her time there, Park delivered food kits to impoverished children, assisted children with malaria treatment, and spent quality time with a sponsored child named Avanna, taking care of her and sharing meals together. This KFHI's campaign was showcased in the television documentary "2011 MBC World Food Day Special - Stop the Hunger Sharing Campaign."
Park also participated in initiatives in response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. To celebrate the airing of the drama Heartstrings on Fuji TV Japan, Park and Jung Yong-hwa held a meet and greet event on July 15 and 16, 2012 at the Tokyo International Forum Hall. The event was attended by approximately 10,000 fans, and a portion of the proceeds was donated through KFHI for Tōhoku survivors. In August 2012, the non-profit organization "Good Friends Save Children" (GFSC) organized a fundraising event called "Hopes, Dreams, Happy Trip to Korea." The event invited 80 students and staff from Ogatsu Middle School in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, representing the Tōhoku survivors. Park, Jung Yong-hwa and Lee Hong-gi appeared as surprise guests, providing words of encouragement and gifts.
In 2013, Park engaged in various initiatives. She donated rice wreaths received from fans to a charity organization during the Flower Boy Next Door production presentation. At the One Perfect Day film showcase event in April, She donated 520 kg of rice wreaths received from fans, which provided meals for 4,300 undernourished children. To create an inclusive version of the film for visually and hearing-impaired, Park also contributed her talents as a narrator in June.
Park marked her 10th-year debut anniversary by hosting "The 2013 Park Shin-hye Asia Tour: Kiss of Angel" in Philippines, Japan, and China. Funds raised from the events also went towards the Starlight Angel Village Project. The project established the first "Shin-hye's Center" in Ghana, comprising a school, library, and playground. It offered free kindergarten education and meals to local children. The initiative also involved building and repairing village wells, livestock donation, distributing mosquito nets, and providing prevention education. Completed in November 2013, the center benefited around 500 students.
After the final episode of The Heirs was filmed, Park and Lee Min-ho participated in a charity auction organized by Cheil on December 12. Park donated winter jackets and bags from the drama, while Lee donated three winter jackets. On December 18, Park visited Angels' Haven orphanage to give a lecture on intellectual property rights. She donated shoes and clothing from authentic brands, served a free lunch, and had a photo session with the children.
In response to the Sewol Ferry tragedy, Park made a secret donation of ₩50 million to the victims' families. The media later discovered this, and on April 25, S.A.L.T. Entertainment, donated ₩10 million. Both contributions were channeled through the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association. Park also joined the Sewol Ferry tragedy's Yellow Ribbon Campaign.
This was followed by respective events in Osaka and Tokyo on July 19 and 20, featuring live performances and talk shows. Park visited five cities in China, starting from Shanghai on July 26, followed by Chongqing, Shenzhen, Changsha, and Beijing.
Park and S.A.L.T. Entertainment were also involved in charity initiatives, including the "Lovely Hands campaign" organized by Lotte Department Store to raise funds for children with rare diseases at Korea University Anam Hospital. Lotte Department Store donated ₩1,000 for each participant during the campaign, which took place from March 27 to April 12. In May, Park donated ₩30 million ($28,000) to support the victims of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, while S.A.L.T. Entertainment also contributed ₩10 million. Both donations were made through KFHI.
In 2016, Park initiated the planning for the second Shin-hye's Centre in Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines. Like the first one in Ghana, the centre is designed to function as a cultural center for the local community, emphasizing educational and nutritional assistance for children. In March, Park with S.A.L.T. Entertainment employees, visited existing Sampaloc Children's Center. They formed personal connections with approximately 150 sponsored children with fun activities of dyeing white T-shirts, lunch gathering and home visits. In July 2016, Park initiated Shin-hye's Centre groundbreaking ceremony, with completion set for October the following year.
On November 24, 2016, Park Shin-hye and Lee Eun-young of S.A.L.T. Entertainment, were honored as the 36th and 37th members of the Philanthropic Club of KFHI. Membership in the club is granted to donors who have contributed a minimum of ₩100 million (US$85,000) or more to the organization. On November 30, Park donated ₩50 million (US$42,881) to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association to support victims of the fire in District 4 of Seomun Market in Daegu. Park also donated ₩50 million to the association's Community Coal Bank, purchasing 83,340 "briquettes of love" that provided warmth to 556 families for a month.
In November 2017, Salt Entertainment announced the completion of two major projects: the "Philippine Shinhye Center" (constructed between July 2016 and September 2017) and the "Hwado Happy Home School Renovation Support Project" for a local children's center in Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do (initiated in March 2017).
In November, Park also donated ₩50 million through KFHI to assist victims of the 2017 Pohang earthquake. On December 10, Park Shin-hye organized a charity event in Seoul called "Park Shin-hye's Starlight Angel Project 2017: Kimchi Sharing of Love." Around 60 people attended, including KFHI representatives, employees, and members of her fan club, 'Starlight Angel.' Together, they prepared kimchi and distributed it to approximately 200 families with children affected by the Pohang earthquake.
Park joined the "Star Relay Heart Challenge" to help children from low-income families. She interacted with fans through live broadcasts on May 18, 2018, completing missions like making cards for children. Donations to KFHI were based on the number of "hearts" received, with a maximum contribution of three million won ($2,775). On December 20, 2018, Park donated 20 washing machines, valued at around ₩50 million, designed for fire-retardant clothing to show gratitude for firefighters' dedication. LG Electronics pledged to provide a dryer for each washing machine to match her donation.
On April 24, 2019, Park was honored with the Special Philanthropy Celebrity of the Year Award at the 5th Asia Philanthropy Awards (APA) ceremony. Though she was unable to attend the event due to prior overseas commitments, the award was accepted on her behalf by Kim Kyung-sook, director of the KFHI.
In April, Park donated ₩30 million to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association to help victims of forest fires in Goseong and Sokcho, Gangwon Province. Later in the year, in November, she contributed an additional ₩30 million to the organization's Community Coal Bank initiative.
In August 2019, Park visited Kenya and Botswana for 15 days, where she assisted activists of Elephants Without Borders in caring for orphaned elephants and attaching GPS devices to wild elephants. Her experience was featured in the MBC documentary "Humanimal Part 1 - Killing an Elephant," which aired in January 2020. Park's appearance fee for the documentary was donated to the foundation.
In March 2020, Park donated ₩50 million to the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association's fund for preventing the spread of COVID-19. In August, she donated ₩100 million to support the victims of heavy rains and landslides through the same organization. In October of that year, Park donated around ₩50 million to the Starlight School program, an initiative by KFHI to protect children at night. The program is part of the Happy Home School movement, which aims to ensure the safety and well-being of children in challenging environments. In December, Park donated approximately ₩20 million ($18,100) through KFHI on behalf of the Starlight Angel Project. The donation provided 90,000 sanitary pads to 500 children from low-income families in 62 regional centers in South Korea, ensuring a 5-month supply. Yuhan Kimberly, a brand endorsed by Park, also contributed an extra 57,000 sanitary pads.
In March 2022, Park donated ₩50 million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help those damaged by large forest fires in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province and Samcheok, Gangwon.
In July 2023, Park donated ₩100 million worth of 2,000 summer blankets to the flood victims affected by torrential rain. The blankets were distributed through The Korean Red Cross branches in Sejong, North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, and North Gyeongsang Province regions.
