Actress Ha Ji Won Helps Children Smile

A bag designed by actress Ha Ji Won recently helped raise money for the international medical charity Operation Smile. The charity benefits children born with facial deformities.

Ha Ji Won designed the bag in cooperation with the Italian luxury brand Fendi. The bag was offered via a Peekaboo Bag Auction to raise funds for the charity. Fashionable actress Go So Young and figure skater Kim Yuna also participated in the charity auction.

Operation Smile released a statement about Ha Ji Won's contribution.

"The profits from the meaningful event that Ha Ji Won is organizing are being used to help children who suffer from facial deformity."

Ha Ji Won was appointed the Asian honorary ambassador of the charity in 2014. She was the first Asian-American female celebrity and the second Asian celebrity to serve as an honorary ambassador. After she was named International Smile Ambassador, she spoke about how happy it made her.

"One of the most beautiful things in the world is the children's laughter. I am so honored to be the International Smile Ambassador, and I hope I could be of help for the suffering children," she said.

Operation Smile performs cleft lip and cleft palate surgery and delivers postoperative and ongoing medical therapies to children in low and middle income countries. The nonprofit organization has existed since 1982 and was first established in Korea in 2012. Since 1982 it has provided 220,000 free surgical procedures for children and young adults in 63 countries.

The actress and members of her fan club have so far donated more than $100,000 to the organization. Ha Ji Won began her work as an honorary ambassador with a visit to Vietnam in November 2014. There she led a fundraising and charity event to raise money.

Ha Ji Won is best known for her roles in the dramas "Secret Garden," "King 2 Hearts," "Empress Ki" and "The Time I Didn't Love You, 7,000 Days."