Lee Seung-hwan, CEO of Dolgo Donation and a third-generation member of the SK Group founder's family, is moving to raise 1 billion won in donations this year. Lee left SK in 2017 after five years and founded the donation platform Dolgo Donation.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 23rd, Dolgo Donation registered to raise 1 billion won in donations this year. The stated purpose is "support for daily necessities, care, self-reliance, education and emergency relief activities for various vulnerable groups in Korea." The deadline to use the donations is through next year.
Under the current fundraising law, anyone seeking to raise donations of 10 million won or more must register with a local government. If the target amount exceeds 1 billion won, registration must be filed with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Lee is the maternal grandson of SK Group founder Chey Jong-gun and a fifth cousin of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. Lee joined SK Group as an intern in 2012 and worked at SK Chemicals and SK Gas, but left the company in 2017. Lee then jumped into the donation platform business, releasing the "Dolgo" application (app) in 2019 and establishing a corporation in 2021.
Dolgo Donation promotes a structure that delivers the full amount of donations to beneficiaries. Unlike typical donation platforms, it does not deduct card fees (3%) or operating fees (15%), and the company bears the related expense. It is a model that prioritizes public interest over profitability.
In a past media interview, Lee said of the background of the startup, "I judged it was a business advantageous for me, who is unlikely to cause problems with money."
Inside and outside business circles, Lee is seen as an "unusual third-generation chaebol." Instead of management training or joining an affiliate, Lee launched a social contribution platform and is active publicly. In 2023, Lee appeared on the YouTube channel "Human Story," sharing daily life, and the video surpassed 8 million views. In 2024, Lee also appeared on the U+ Mobile TV original variety show "Gold Spoon War."
This is the second time Dolgo Donation has registered a donation drive with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. During the Türkiye earthquake in 2023, it also registered a plan to raise 1 billion won and actually raised about 34 million won, which it disbursed through last year.
As of April this year, Dolgo Donation's cumulative donations total about 4.1 billion won. The cumulative number of donors is 13,806, and the total number of donations is 113,294. The No. 1 cumulative donor on the platform is fashion brand M Playground, which donated 51 million won.