Starbucks Korea announced on the 13th that it donated the handwritten calligraphy 'Pengcheng Wanli' by Kim Gu to the Cultural Heritage National Trust in celebration of the 80th anniversary of liberation.
According to Starbucks Korea, the ceremony for the delivery of Kim Gu's handwritten calligraphy took place on the 11th at Deoksugung's Chungmyeongjeon. The event was attended by Kim Ji-young, head of the Starbucks ESG team, and Kim Young-gyeong, Director General of the Cultural Heritage National Trust.
The donated handwritten calligraphy 'Pengcheng Wanli' by Kim Gu is derived from a myth in which the imagined bird 'Peng' flies 90,000 li in a single leap, embodying Kim Gu's yearning for the 'long road' of national independence.
To honor the spirit of liberation, Starbucks Korea delivered the handwritten calligraphy to the Cultural Heritage National Trust, using the revenue generated from its community store No. 9, 'Hwan-gudan', which is configured as a shared profit model.
As of now, Starbucks Korea has donated a total of 12 pieces of handwritten calligraphy from independence activists since 2015. These include Kim Gu's ▲Noble Character Development ▲Liberation of the Fatherland ▲World Above All ▲Preserving Virtue ▲Nature's Benevolence ▲Pengcheng Wanli, Ahn Chang-ho's ▲Desire to Reform Society, Han Yong-un's ▲Great Dharma Wheel, and Oh Se-chang's ▲Cultivating Character ▲Two Verses of Five Words, among others.
Earlier in April, Starbucks Korea held a special exhibition titled 'Becoming Stars, Shining Light: The Second Light' at Deoksugung's Deokhongjeon, showcasing the handwritten calligraphy that has been donated so far.
Kim Ji-young, head of the Starbucks ESG team, said, 'It is meaningful to celebrate the 80th anniversary of liberation with the fund created through community store No. 9, together with our customers,' adding that 'Starbucks will continue various activities to remember and support the future that independence activists dreamed of, reflecting on their noble spirit of the independence movement.'
Meanwhile, Starbucks Korea converted the Hwan-gudan store into community store No. 9 in July 2024. For every product sold in the store, 300 won is accumulated to be used for the national heritage protection fund. Based on this, it is continuing various social contribution activities for national heritage preservation and the training of specialized talents, including not only the donation of handwritten calligraphy but also providing a scholarship of 30 million won to the Korea National University of Arts.