Ballad rock singer and big-time philanthropist Kim Jang-hoon, who has been dubbed the nation’s “Donation Angel,” has finally unveiled his latest charity project after more than a decade in the making.

“Back in 2002 I had hurt my shoulder and while I was at the hospital getting treatment there was a man sitting next to me; the man was a firefighter,” said Kim at a press conference held at the Press Center in Seoul on Wednesday. “He told me that despite the difficult situations they face, they are all committed to their duty to protect and serve.”

After hearing the man’s heart-wrenching story about his struggles as a firefighter, Kim made a promise to raise awareness of the hardships, sacrifices and heroics that local firefighters face on a daily basis. He has teamed up with the rising starlets of Crayon Pop for the Korea Firefighter Project, which is dedicated to supporting the families of fallen firefighters.

Together the artists collaborated on the lighthearted pop single “Hero” ― produced by the same producer of Crayon Pop’s megahit “Bar Bar Bar” ― in honor of all the servicemen and women in the nation’s fire departments. While the music video for “Hero” was released earlier this week, its official digital single was released on Wednesday. The proceeds from the track will fund scholarships and donations to the families and children of firefighters who have died in the line-of-duty.

“Our local firefighters really are unsung heroes…you know the country has specialized hospitals for the police and soldiers, but we still don’t have a facility dedicated to our firefighters,” said Kim, dressed sharply in a decorated firefighter’s dress uniform. “This has been the most worthwhile, most tear jerking and most rewarding project that I have ever been involved with.”

“We are very honored to be a part of this project along with Kim Jang-hoon,” said the members of Crayon Pop, who left their iconic bike helmets at home and were also decked out in honorary firefighter uniforms. “For us to be able to show our support for these heroic firefighters through music, it’s such a wonderful feeling for us.”

Kim and Crayon Pop are planning to host a special charity concert for their cause at the Ajou University Gymnastics Stadium on Feb. 16.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)