Tee Shots Raise 30 Million Won to Help Vulnerable Busan Residents, Nurture Young Golfers

Charity Zone donations from the HJ Shipbuilding & Construction·Dongbu Construction Championship

20 million won donated to support people in underserved communities

10 million won to develop young golf talent

Golfers' tee shots have turned into donations to help their neighbors. The Busan Metropolitan City government received 30 million won raised at a Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour event and will use it to support vulnerable groups and develop young golfers.

The Busan Metropolitan City government, led by Mayor Jeon Jaesu, said on October 12 that it had received 30 million won in donations collected through the tournament's Charity Zone at the awards ceremony for the "2026 HJ Shipbuilding & Construction·Dongbu Construction Championship," held on October 11 at A-One Country Club in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.

The Charity Zone is a designated area on the tournament course where a set amount is added to a donation fund each time a player's tee shot lands in the area. The initiative was designed to connect players' performance with giving back to the local community, and the tournament raised a total of 30 million won.

The donations will be split between two causes. Two million won will be donated to the Busan Community Chest of Korea to help residents facing hardship in underserved areas of the city. The remaining 10 million won will go to the Busan Metropolitan City Golf Association to develop promising young golfers. The plan is to ease their financial burdens so they can focus on training.

Attendees at the presentation ceremony included Busan Mayor Jeon Jaesu; Heo Sanghee, vice chairman of HJ Shipbuilding & Construction and Dongbu Construction; Yoon Jino, CEO of Dongbu Construction; Yoo Sangcheol and Song Gyeonghan, CEOs of HJ Shipbuilding & Construction; and Kim Sunhee, senior vice president of the KLPGA, along with other tournament officials. Around 20,000 spectators also attended the tournament.

The "2026 HJ Shipbuilding & Construction·Dongbu Construction Championship" is the only event on the KLPGA Tour played using a modified Stableford format. Starting this year, Busan-based HJ Shipbuilding & Construction joined as a co-host, contributing to community giving and social contributions through sports.

Busan Mayor Jeon Jaesu said, "I deeply thank Dongbu Construction, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, the KLPGA and all the players for bringing hope to neighbors in need and inspiring the children of Busan to dream about their future through the generosity raised through sports."

Mayor Jeon added, "We will put these donations to good use, supporting welfare programs and working closely with the Busan Golf Association to provide a solid stepping stone for promising local golfers to become world-class players."

Donations raised through the players' shots will help residents in need and support the development of future golfers. As the generosity that began on the course benefits local welfare and sports talent development, it has added to the tournament's significance.

Busan City Hall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.