By Soh Ji-young
Staff Reporter

SEOUL-The "beautiful" boy is back - this time, to do another beautiful deed for his home country.

Danny Seo, 24, the famous Korean American environmental activist donated $20,000 May 14 to the Korea Animal Protection Society (KAPS), a Taegu-based environmental group that works for protecting animal rights in Korea.

"On my last visit here, I made a pledge to the people of my homeland that I would find a way to help Korea, and I’m happy I found my chance," Seo said in a press conference held in Kwachon, south of Seoul.

Seo came to Seoul on May 13 for a five-day visit, at the invitation of Samsung Group. This is his fourth visit to Seoul, with the most recent in January of last year.

He shot a TV commercial for Samsung two months ago, which started airing in early May. Of the $100,000 he received for the commercial, Seo decided to donate $20,000 to KAPS.

"I got to know of the wonderful organization last March, and thought it was a calling, as I was looking for an opportunity to help Korea," said Seo, who was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People magazine in 1998.

The money will be used to build a new animal protection facility in Taegu. Seo plans to donate the rest of his earnings to various U.S. environmental groups and charities.

"I want to use this opportunity to remind everyone that if there is anything in need, or there is an issue they care about, they should do something about it and become part of the solution," he said.

Seo is famous for founding "Earth 2000," an environmental group for teenagers, in 1989, when he was just 12 years old. Since then, the organization has grown to more than 26,000 members, and is striving to lead worldwide campaigns for the protection of natural resources and animals.

But Seo seems to has taken a more corporate-style approach toward his environmental movement, as he is currently concentrating on running his company, Danny Seo Media Ventures, which he founded last year.

The company centers on creating environment-related television programming and manufacturing various environmentally-friendly products, which are affordable and attractive as well.

"Not only is the firm aiming to conduct business in a socially responsible way, but also serves as a venue to raise money for causes that I care about," he said.

Seo disclosed that his visit is only the beginning of his efforts to help Korean people "be the difference."

"I’m planning a fund-raising event in New York in September to support KAPS and other Korean charity groups," he said.