Actor Im Chae-mu, carrying W19b in debt, steps up for people with developmental disabilities

Actor Im Chae-mu, 77, has taken on a new charitable cause on behalf of people with developmental disabilities — even as he carries hundreds of billions of won in debt.

The Daun Welfare Center, a social welfare foundation, signed an MOU on July 6 with Duriland, a theme park in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, and officially appointed Im — the park's owner and operator — as its honorary ambassador.

The agreement aims to give people with developmental disabilities, who are often excluded from leisure and cultural activities, a wider range of cultural experiences, while also working to improve public awareness of disability issues.

Im plans to join Daun Welfare Center in disability awareness campaigns and contribute to various social outreach efforts aimed at expanding cultural access for marginalized groups.

"If Duriland has been a place that plants dreams and wonder in children, I hope it can now become a cultural space that also brings hope to people with developmental disabilities," Im said. "I want to do my small part in building a society where everyone can smile together, regardless of disability."

Daun Welfare Center director Shin Myeong-jin also expressed enthusiasm for the partnership. "The happiness of people with disabilities can only be complete when all members of the community come together," Shin said. "I look forward to spreading messages of hope and warmth to more people alongside Ambassador Im."

This is not the first time Im has shown such generosity. He opened Duriland in Yangju in 1989 using his own money and kept the park free of charge for many years — a fact that drew wide attention when it became publicly known. Im said at the time that he opened the park out of a passion for creating a space where children could play freely and happily.

A story that emerged later proved equally striking: Im had promised his staff he would buy them an apartment if they worked at the park for three years, and he made good on that pledge, gifting 26 employees apartments of about 59 square meters each. Some of those employees are reported to still be living in the same apartments today.

Behind all this generosity, however, lies a heavy financial burden. Im has said on various television programs that his accumulated debt from running Duriland stands at around 19 billion won ($12.8 million), with monthly loan interest alone running about 80 million won and electricity bills adding another roughly 30 million won.

Even so, Im has not stopped giving. The park that once gave children a place to dream is now being expanded into a space of hope for people with developmental disabilities — another act of sharing in the face of hardship.

Im made his debut in 1973 as a sixth-round talent recruit at MBC and went on to become a beloved household name through drama series including "Han Jibung Se Gajok" (Under One Roof) and "Jeonwon Ilgi" (Country Diary).