K-Pop Standouts Stray Kids and Aespa Pledge Millions in Aid Following Devastating Hong Kong Fire

As the death toll rises from the Wang Fuk Court tragedy, the industry giants—including SM and JYP—are stepping up with massive relief funds.

The K-pop community is coming together in a massive show of solidarity to support Hong Kong following one of the deadliest residential fires in the city's history.

Heavyweights like Stray Kids and Aespa, along with major agencies, have pledged significant financial aid to victims of the blaze at the Wang Fuk Court complex. The tragedy, which occurred on Wednesday (November 26), has claimed at least 128 lives, marking Hong Kong's worst residential fire since 1980.

According to reports, the fire raged for nearly 48 hours, exacerbated by non-fireproof construction materials. As of Friday, local authorities have arrested eight individuals in connection with the disaster.

Idols Stepping Up

With the 2025 MAMA Awards currently taking place in the city, the connection between the K-pop world and Hong Kong is being felt deeply.

Aespa was among the first to announce aid, pledging 500,000 HKD (approx. $64,000 USD) to the Hong Kong Red Cross. "We express our deepest sorrow regarding this heartbreaking news," the group shared in a statement on Weibo.

Boy band phenomenon Stray Kids followed suit, committing 1 million HKD (approx. $128,000 USD) via World Vision Hong Kong. Their donation is specifically earmarked for temporary housing and support for displaced children. "We were all very heavy-hearted upon hearing the unfortunate news," the group stated.

Other acts, including RIIZE, EXO-CBX, and KickFlip, have also chipped in, each donating roughly $12,800 USD to relief efforts.

A Unified Front

It isn't just the artists opening their wallets. The powerhouses behind the groups, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, have joined forces to donate a combined 3 million HKD (approx. $385,000 USD) for emergency relief and recovery operations.

The MAMA Awards, hosted by CJ ENM, have also pivoted their programming. While the show went on, the red carpet was canceled out of respect. Organizers announced a staggering 20 million HKD (approx. $2.57 million USD) donation to the government's support fund.

A statement from the MAMA committee emphasized the tone of the revised event: "We believe in the healing and solidarity power of music." Segments of the broadcast will now include messages of support for the city as it begins the long road to recovery.