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S. Korean actor becomes advocate for UN World Food Programme
HONG KONG, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean actor Jang Dong-gun was named Wednesday as a spokesperson for the UN's food aid branch and charged with the task of using his celebrity to advocate food distribution projects in some of the world's poorest countries.
Jang, 36, becomes the latest Ambassador for the Word Food Programme, joining Hollywood celebrity Drew Barrymore, Howard Buffett, the elder son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett and Brazilian football player Kaka.
"I feel honored to be appointed as an ambassador for one of the UN umbrella organizations," Jang said to Yonhap News Agency at Hong Kong.
The star of South Korean film "Taegukgi: Brotherhood of War" was invited to the first Clinton Global Initiative Asia Meeting, where he was presented with a letter of appointment.
"I will do my best in order that not only fans of Jang Dong-gun but also many Asian people come to care more about food shortages in the world," he said.
Currently WFP estimates that more than 112 million school-aged children around the world are undernourished and live below the poverty line.
Jang also said South Korea needs to contribute to resolving the starvation in North Korea, saying that he is "willing to visit North Korea."
The WFP, in an appeal made in early September, asked the South to contribute up to US$60 million for its campaign in the North, warning the communist country will fall back into famine unless given aid worth about $500 million over the next 15 months.
South Korea has yet to respond to the appeal, as its relations with Pyongyang have been strained since the launch of its conservative Lee Myung-bak administration in February.
North Korea has yet to request annual humanitarian aid shipments this year from the South, consisting of 400,000 tons of rice and 300,000 tons of fertilizer, amid the strained ties. Lee's two liberal predecessors had provided the humanitarian aid for a decade.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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