Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, said Thursday it is launching a "blood donation promotion support project" to mark World Blood Donor Day.
The project was designed to respond to a declining donor-eligible population caused by low birthrates and an aging society, and to establish a stable foundation for blood supply.
The city will provide 10,000-won Onnuri gift cards to 2,000 Namyangju residents who donate blood. The recipients include 1,000 donors at the Dasan Center blood donation house within the city and 1,000 participants in group blood donations at local high schools.
The city delivered the Onnuri gift cards to the Korean Red Cross Seoul East Blood Center on Wednesday and formally began the support project Thursday.
The same day, the city held a blood donation promotion campaign in the area around Dasan Station together with the Seoul East Blood Center and the Red Cross Volunteer Group. The campaign highlighted the importance and necessity of blood donation and encouraged voluntary participation by residents, while also providing guidance on registering as a human tissue and organ donor and promoting the prevention of drug misuse and abuse.
The donor-eligible population has been shrinking recently due to the effects of low birthrates and an aging population, but demand for blood at medical sites continues steadily. In particular, the declining share of donors among adolescents and young adults has emerged as a major challenge for securing a stable blood supply.
The city plans to continue its group blood donation support project in cooperation with local high schools and to strengthen promotional activities to spread a culture of blood donation, working to expand the future donor base.
"Blood donation is the most precious form of sharing, offering new life to patients who need transfusions," said Jeong Tae-sik, head of the Namyangju Public Health Center. "Because the small act of each individual resident can save someone's life and become hope that protects tomorrow, I hope many residents will join in donating blood."
