Ji Yeon-soo donates first YouTube earnings to single parents

Broadcaster Ji Yeon-soo has donated her entire first payout of 5 million won from her YouTube channel to support single-parent families. The decision has drawn significant attention as Ji herself is a single parent facing economic hardships. Currently working part-time at a gomtang (beef bone soup) restaurant to make ends meet, Ji stated she wanted to share the sense of helplessness she once experienced with other single mothers.

On the 14th, Ji revealed via SNS that she had donated the initial earnings from her YouTube channel, 'Ji Yeon-soo's Yeonsurobda.'

“I received my first payout since opening the channel,” she stated. “I decided to donate the full amount alongside the production team, who have been working with me.”

According to the donation certificate, Ji and her production team delivered 5 million won in the channel's name to the Beautiful Foundation's support project for the resurgence of single mothers on the 25th of last month. The funds will be used to support the independence and reintegration of single mothers facing economic and social hardships.

The donation is particularly noteworthy because Ji is not in a financially comfortable position. She previously revealed that she has been working part-time at a gomtang restaurant to support her livelihood, working from the morning through lunch service before spending the afternoon caring for her son.

Despite these circumstances, Ji spoke candidly about choosing to donate the earnings rather than spending them on herself: “It is true that I live a tight life without much leeway. It's not that I don't know the value of money.”

She explained her motivation, saying, “I wanted to help even just one mother and child who have become overwhelmed by sudden environmental changes to stop their tears for a moment.”

In her YouTube video, she explained the meaning of the donation by directly mentioning her own status as a single parent. “Am I not a single parent? I know that feeling best,” she said, adding that she wanted to convey the support of her subscribers to those in similar situations.

The 5 million won was not a decision made by Ji alone. As the production team joined in the spirit, the scale of the donation grew. Ji emphasized that although her name and the channel name appear on the certificate, the money essentially represents the hearts of the entire team.

She credited the production team and subscribers, saying, “I believe everyone's name should be written on it.” This highlights that the act was a collective effort rather than a solo gesture.

The reaction of her son, Min-su, was also special to Ji. She shared that upon hearing the news, her son clapped and said, “Mom, you did a good job.”

“When I first started living alone with my son, I felt so lost,” Ji said. “Because I know that feeling well, I didn't feel it was a waste at all to think that I could help someone.”

She continued, “After becoming a single parent when Min-su was 5, I have been living my hardest ever until now,” describing her now 11-year-old son as “still my life and my breath.” She concluded with a message of encouragement: “Hang in there, all the single parents in the world. I will cheer for you with all my strength.”

For Ji, the identity of being a 'single parent' involves more than just a family structure. She has had to navigate the practical challenges of economic independence and child-rearing simultaneously, which made continuing her broadcasting career in the same way as before difficult.

She has maintained a cautious attitude regarding her return to broadcasting. She previously revealed that although she had received several offers to appear on shows, she declined them to prioritize her son. While appearing on broadcasts might be a logical economic choice, she has hinted that she wants to appear on shows only when her child is ready to join her.

These choices align with the direction of her recently launched YouTube activities. Ji opened the 'Ji Yeon-soo's Yeonsurobda' channel last June, communicating with the public by sharing her daily life. Unlike her previous broadcasting work, she is using this platform to record and deliver her life directly to her audience.

Donating her first 5 million won to support single mothers adds symbolic weight to this new chapter. Rather than simply appealing for help, she has transformed her own lived experiences into a way to assist others.

A former racing model, Ji continued her broadcasting career until marrying Eli Kim, a former member of the group U-KISS, in 2014. The couple divorced in 2020 and later appeared on TV CHOSUN's 'We Got Divorced 2' to show the public their process of navigating conflict and reconciliation.

During that time, Ji's economic struggles and parenting challenges became public, making her a representative figure for the realities faced by single parents after divorce.

While 5 million won may not solve all the practical difficulties of every single-parent household, the fact that she chose to give her first significant earnings to those in similar situations carries weight far beyond the amount.

For Ji, this donation blurs the line between 'the person helping' and 'the person in need.' Though she is still a single parent managing her livelihood and child, she has demonstrated that she can also be a provider of support.

She could have used the 5 million won for her own living expenses, but she chose otherwise. Her statement that it was "not a waste at all" reflects her desire to turn her memories of hardship into a resource to help others make a new start.

As Ji Yeon-soo continues her new chapter as a broadcaster, interest is growing in how she will expand her story. At the very least, the purpose of her first earnings was clear: she turned her most difficult life experiences into a message of encouragement for others.