(WE GENERATION)

K-pop girl group Apink’s campaign to raise funds for the construction of a hospital specializing in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis surpassed its goal of 1 million won ($960) in a single day.

The campaign was begun through on the “We Generation” homepage on Friday, and was supported by Apink to increase public awareness of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), which was spotlighted during the recent worldwide Ice Bucket Challenge campaign.

(WE GENERATION)

The girl group had already participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge, but decided to take a further step by supporting this campaign. Many of the group’s fans have also participated in the campaign. Apink even made a promise to give an autographed copy of its CD to the first 10 people who donate more than 100,000 won.

(WE GENERATION) A former coach of the Korean Basketball League, Park Seung-il, who has suffered from ALS.

Though it achieved the initial goal, additional financial help is still being accepted. The campaign will be promoted on Nov. 7 and the collection will be given to Seungil Hope Foundation.

Apink will visit Japan on Oct. 22, and has already held successful debut showcases in Tokyo and Osaka.

By Park Gyu-oh (q5park@heraldcorp.com)