Korean Version: https://www.change.org/blacklivesmatter-kakaopay-korean

Disclaimer: Any donations made to Change.org will not be allocated towards BLM-affiliated causes. Donations made to this page merely promote this petition. The purpose of this petition is not to amass donations on this site – but rather to incentivize charity organizations to include KakaoPay in their donation options, enabling millions of more people to donate to meaningful causes.

Dear American civil rights organizations and charities,

I am contacting several of you, in hopes that at least one of you might please heed our request.

My name is Shaun KewalRamani, a rising freshman at the University of Southern California, and I am writing on behalf of the Korea-America Racial Equality (KARE) Team, whose co-founders include myself, Eugene Chang, Jaewan Kim, Nicole Martinez, Sijin Lee, Tambin Cho, Yewoon Lee, and Jude Abijah.

We are focused on spreading awareness and connecting international aid programs, chiefly between South Korean and American donors/charities, with an emphasis on the BLM movement. 

Black. Lives. Matter. Systemic racism in the United States has persisted for far too long. We painfully recognize that the numerous tragic casualties in recent times – including but not at all limited to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor – are a mere fraction of the injustice that has plagued our society for centuries. We are appalled by such injustice and hatred, but are tremendously grateful that you are dedicated to instead spreading justice and love. And we want to do all we can to help you.

Koreans are sympathetic to the plight of African-Americans in the United States. Thanks to the pivotal work that you have been doing, the Black Lives Matter movement has permeated throughout international media. And in South Korea, it’s been receiving significant and growing attention. Koreans – especially the youth – have been rising up, and spreading the word of change. Injustice anywhere – even 7,000 miles away – is indeed a threat to justice everywhere.  These grave issues of inequity and deep-rooted oppression matter to all human beings, regardless of nationality. Eugene, a first-year student at Handong Global University, reached out to me a few days ago to inform me of this promising compassion; he enlightened me of the tremendous possibilities that opening up donations from the South Korean public would have on civil rights progress in America. We truly believe that, if the right steps are taken, there can be an outpouring of South Korean support in terms of charitable donations towards BLM causes.

But right now, the Korean public is fundamentally obstructed from demonstrating their solidarity to the fullest.

The most fatal deterrent that prevents Koreans from donating to American charities is the absence of linkage between Korean financial platforms and American charity groups, resulting in mass inaccessibility. Koreans engage in nearly all of their financial activities – from convenience store payments to donations – via their own mobile payment services (Korean counterparts to PayPal or Venmo) that aren’t yet included in most American charity options. Considering this, it is unsurprising that an overarching number of Koreans are forced to give up on donating to worthy foreign causes. But there is hope.

We contend that introducing the Korean financial platform KakaoPay would enormously benefit the Black Lives Matter movement, ultimately unlocking an entire Korean populace that is driven to make a positive difference in terms of combating racism.

KakaoPay is indisputably the most widely used financial application in South Korea. KakaoTalk, the messenger platform from which KakaoPay is based, controls more than 85% of total market share. People in their twenties and thirties are even more engaged in using the messenger and its financial platform, which is why we conclude that a significant portion of users would sympathize with and contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement. Additionally, KakaoPay has already expanded its service to the United States, so that Koreans can send money to American bank accounts with just an Electronic Payment Routing (ACH Routing Number). This ensures that our ideal implementation would not be too much of a hassle — because we deeply recognize that you are already constantly directing your resources to other noble causes of the highest importance. We thus seek not to hinder your progress, but rather to reinforce and accelerate it.

We have already contacted KakaoPay about our initiative, and they informed us that they are eager to hear from you. If you are willing to cooperate with KakaoPay, they humbly request that you send them an email.

We truly hope that you will agree with us in that together, the world is stronger. And in this fight, which has lasted for what feels like an eternity — we can use all the help we can get. 

Thank you very much for your time, consideration, and everything you do and stand for. 

We will always stand with you.

Respectfully yours,

The KARE Team