Meet Aiden Kim: A content creator extraordinaire dedicated to supporting underprivileged communities; working hard to bring people together and make the world a better place. Through his charitable enterprise, Aiden hopes to create infrastructure to provide people with long term help in the face of adversity and to inspire others to make a difference where they can.
You may know Aiden from social media and his online platform which he uses to share videos of his interactions with Korean elders. These videos are important for many reasons: Not least their sensitivity and profoundly human approach. The viewer gains a sense of empathy as these individuals talk about their lives, experiences and struggles. Through the sharing of these videos, this writer has gained an invaluable insight into the challenges these hard working people have faced, but also the physical toll such effort has taken on them. This writer has on occasion been moved to tears by displays of resilience and reactions to kindness. The content Aiden creates is genuine, and the reactions from the people he meets are heartwarming.
The physical impact his social mission is having on people is “exciting,” Aiden informed me. “It’s great being able to change lives one person at a time. As my online presence has grown, the projects have developed and it’s wonderful seeing people reaching out to volunteer and lend a hand.”
We spoke a little bit about Aiden’s background and I was interested to learn that Aiden qualified as a pharmacist in 2020. When COVID hit, he began sharing pharmacy information videos and with time began searching for an alternative way of making a difference . An opportunity presented itself shortly thereafter, in an unexpected manner. That opportunity was a car accident where Aiden suffered injuries. This necessitated a period of medical leave to recover. “During this time,” Aiden shared, “even though I knew I should be resting I kept thinking to myself ‘when will I ever get another month off?’ so I decided to go for it and came to Korea where I started making videos. I’m proud of taking that risk,” he added, “acknowledging that it has been difficult at times.” He described the change as a rare opportunity to take a “great leap forward. I didn’t feel scared because I had a back up plan and knowing that I did made it feel not as daunting, and knowing that was the reason I felt I could just go for it.”
And go for it he did. During our conversation I learned that Aiden was so moved by his time in Korea that he gave up his promising career, but his decision to take this leap was a moment he felt he had been preparing for and working towards for “a long time. I have,” he shared, “always wanted to be an entrepreneur in some shape or form. I’ve studied a lot, read a lot, and learned a lot but I always knew I wanted to find something outside of just working. Something I loved. I felt that for almost a decade before opportunity presented itself.”
We spoke a little of how it felt to take that next big step, and Aiden shared with me that even though there “have been some difficulties and challenges, such as not having a regular salary and giving up a certain lifestyle and facing the risk of disappointing family, friends and loved ones. Now a little time has passed, and I can see how I’ve been able to make a difference, my family are incredibly supportive.”
We then spoke a little about what continues to drive him and where he gets his passion from. “I’m really happy,” Aiden said. “I have heart and I care. A sense of community is something that has grown up with me,” and he spoke about how he feels very grateful to his parents for instilling this quality in him but also finds drive from other sources, such as his faith, career and life experiences. “I have,” he added, “grown up doing community service so it’s part of who I am.”
We then spoke of issues specific to Korea which lead us nicely on to Aiden’s ultimate goal of eradicating elderly poverty in Korea. Aiden spoke with me candidly about the unique situation of the elderly in 2025, noting first that his thoughts, knowledge and love for the country come from a Korean-American point of view which he acknowledges might differ to the experience and opinions on the topic from a native Korean.
“What I see,” he continued, “is all the changes the elderly generation have witnessed. They’ve lived during Japanese imperialism, an economic downfall and then an economic boom. Korea to them has always been changing and pivoting, requiring them to adjust continually despite not having many opportunities for formal education. Their lives have been focused on survival. They are the foundation of Korea but, because in some respects no one really predicted the country to grow so big, systematic support was not set up or prepared for and so I think that Korea might not have necessarily been prepared for that. Of course I should add that it’s not just the elderly generation that face hardships. The younger generation are struggling in new ways. Korea is changing but it’s a beautiful country. It’s amazing to think of all the things it’s gone through and survived. As to the individuals themselves, it’s difficult to teach them new skills and trades because they already have something they are really good at. Instead I’m looking for ways to lift up their dignity and help them find a way to generate an income source, rather than worrying about meeting daily sales. Of course, I also have to acknowledge that they may not feel that struggling. This is the life they have grown up with. They’ve been working hard and resilient all their lives, and are still working hard. I want them to rest after all their hard work, even if that’s just doing less labour intensive jobs.”
However, Aiden does a lot of different work beyond what you see in his videos and also does good work helping orphans and protected children in Korea. He works with a few organisations to provide support to uplift those children who do not have access to resources and lack basic needs and if all that did not keep him busy enough, he has also recently launched a nonprofit foundation, the Tessera Compassion Foundation, which he envisages using to fundraise for projects “I’ve been wanting to do, as well as building a team which can help with that”. There’s more than just providing immediate financial support to someone struggling, as depicted in his videos. Most of the work he does is “offline” and provides invaluable assistance such as funding for surgeries, improving quality of life through equipment such as hearing aids, education, food and many other things.
Aiden also encourages people to use their occupation to contribute their relevant experience and vocation and do “what you do best” but mostly, Aiden believes that if you have a good heart and just help others, you’re also supporting his cause. Perhaps like me, you find yourself sometimes thinking you really want to make a difference, but when you look at the world with all its problems you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and not sure of where to even begin. To us, Aiden offers the following gentle encouragement: “You don’t have to fix everything. All you need to do is just look around you. The hardest part is taking that first step. You just have to take it, then take another one. Another challenge is the mindset of ‘I’ll do it later’ and ‘when I’m ready or able’. The hardest part is doing it now, whatever that may look like. It may start off simply by watching a video online, learning about the lives of others and their stories, visiting your neighbour and cooking them a meal but whatever it may be, taking that first step is the best step. It’ll grow as you do, and you can look back and think to yourself that it wasn’t hard at all and you probably made a really beautiful impact.”
If you feel inspired to support Aiden’s mission you can help by engaging with and sharing his content to assist with him raising awareness. If you wish to make a financial contribution you can donate to his Foundation, or donate to cover the cost of some of his expenses here. Aiden also hosts a Podcast (“Aiding with Aiden“) and a YouTube Channel. You can also follow him on Instagram here.
In his own words: Sometimes you just need a little boost of hope that there are people who care about you.
