World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with global K-pop powerhouse ENHYPEN in Seoul on 22 October to celebrate the success of their collaboration for World Blood Donor Day 2026 and recognize the group’s role in inspiring young people around the world to donate blood and save lives.
The collaboration between WHO and ENHYPEN started on World Blood Donor Day on 14 June 2026, bringing together the power of music, social media and the group’s global fan community, known as ENGENE, to promote voluntary, unpaid blood donation.
“Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person – the gift of life” said the Director-General, “I am proud of all ENHYPEN members’ commitment and collaboration with WHO to promote blood donation and save lives. The last campaign was a great success, reaching millions of people. ENHYPEN and ENGENE have the real power to influence the world. I’m also their fan.”
Through a series of social media videos and digital content developed with WHO, ENHYPEN encouraged their millions of fans to learn about the importance of safe blood, make a pledge to donate and take action in their own communities.
ENHYPEN highlighted the global participation from ENGENE and their hope to continue creating meaningful change together with their fans, saying, “We launched this campaign hoping our fans would join us, and we’re grateful to see ENGENEs from all around the world taking part. We hope to continue creating meaningful change together with our fans.”
The group led by example by visiting a Korean Red Cross blood donation centre in Seoul, where all members underwent donor eligibility screening and members JAY and JUNGWON donated plasma.
“You can donate whole blood, plasma or platelets. I donated plasma today. I hope you all joined in this good cause too,” said JUNGWON in the campaign video .
Their message resonated far beyond the Republic of Korea. Fans from countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, Germany and the United States shared photographs and personal stories of donating blood, transforming an online campaign into real-world participation.
WHO’s 2026 Drop Your Drop global blood donation campaign had received more than 9000 pledges from people across 177 countries, including over 3250 participants identifying themselves as ENGENE.
Why blood donation matters
Blood transfusions are essential for saving the lives of women experiencing complications during childbirth, children with severe anaemia, people injured in accidents, and patients undergoing surgery or treatment for serious diseases. They are also critical in emergencies, disasters and conflicts.
Yet access to safe blood and blood products remains deeply unequal around the world, with patients in low-income countries facing the greatest challenges.
WHO advocates for safe, adequate and sustainable national blood supplies based on regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donation. Encouraging younger generations to become regular donors is particularly important because blood and its components have a limited shelf life and supplies must be continuously replenished.
This week’s meeting, held at HYBE headquarters, brought together Dr Tedros, BELIFT LAB President, ENHYPEN members, representatives of the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Red Cross to reflect on the achievements of the joint campaigns and explore opportunities to further promote blood donation and other health issues among young people.
About WHO
Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, WHO leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere, an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. We are the United Nations’ agency for health that connects nations, partners and people in more than 150 locations – leading the world’s response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health care. Our mission is to support all countries to promote, provide and protect health. “Together for health. Stand with science”, the theme of World Health Day 2026, marks a year-long campaign to highlight science as the foundation for protecting health and well-being worldwide.
About ENHYPEN
ENHYPEN have swiftly ascended to global prominence as a K-pop powerhouse, achieving record-breaking milestones since their 2020 debut. Bursting onto the scene with their debut mini-album BORDER : DAY ONE, they quickly established themselves as unrivaled storytellers, shaping a distinct conceptual identity. To date, ENHYPEN have notched seven Billboard 200 Top 10 albums, including their first-ever No. 1 with THE SIN : BLISS (2026), following MANIFESTO : DAY 1 (No. 6, 2022), DARK BLOOD (No. 4, 2023), ORANGE BLOOD (No. 4, 2023), ROMANCE : UNTOLD (No. 2, 2024), DESIRE : UNLEASH (No. 3, 2025), and THE SIN : VANISH (No. 2, 2026). Expanding their global footprint, they made a landmark U.S. stadium debut during their 2023 ‘FATE’ world tour and, in 2025, became the fastest K-pop boy group to perform at Coachella. Their 2025 ‘WALK THE LINE’ world tour marked yet another milestone, with both the USA and European legs selling out entirely, further cementing their status as one of the true scene-stealers of the global stage. This year, ENHYPEN continue their global ascent with ‘BLOOD SAGA,’ their largest world tour to date, marking the group’s first-ever tour across Latin America before bringing their signature storytelling and electrifying performances to audiences across the USA, Europe, Asia, and beyond.
