[Edaily Reporter Kim Min-jung ] Actor Lim Chae-moo, who is operating Duriland while shouldering 19 billion won in debt, has opened the amusement park’s gates for people with developmental disabilities.

The “Close-Up Camera” segment of JTBC’s “Newsroom,” which aired on the 19th, showed people with developmental disabilities having a good time riding the rides at Duri Land in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province.

After recently meeting people with developmental disabilities by chance, Lim Chae-moo signed a partnership agreement with the Down Syndrome Welfare Center. Last month, following the agreement between Duri Land and the Down Syndrome Welfare Center, he was appointed as an official ambassador.

Lim Chae-moo said, “Before meeting them, I couldn’t tell the difference between Down syndrome and autism,” adding, “When I met them in person, they were much more innocent and carefree. I realized I had been looking at them with prejudice.” He continued, “I wanted to bring a smile to their faces, too.”

Duri Land is a children’s theme park that Lim Chae-moo built in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, in 1989 using his own funds. A well-known anecdote from the park’s early days recounts how he decided to offer free admission after seeing a family about to turn away because they couldn’t afford the 8,000-won entrance fee.

There is also a story about him gifting apartments to his employees. Lim Chae-moo had promised in the past, “If employees work here for just three years, I’ll buy them an apartment,” and it later became a hot topic when it was revealed that he had actually gifted 18-pyeong apartments to 26 employees. It is reported that some employees are still living in the apartments they received at that time.

After operating Duriland for over 30 years, his debt also grew significantly. Lim Chae-moo has revealed on various broadcasts that his cumulative debt from running Duriland amounts to approximately 19 billion won. He also disclosed that his monthly loan interest alone totals about 80 million won, while electricity bills come to around 30 million won.

Despite this, Lim Chae-moo has not given up on running Duri Land. He previously stated, “If Duri Land was a place that instilled dreams and wonder in children, I hope it will become a multi-purpose cultural space that brings hope to people with developmental disabilities as well,” adding, “I want to do my small part to create a society where everyone can laugh together, regardless of whether they have a disability or not.”

Meanwhile, Lim Chae-moo, born in 1949, debuted in 1973 as part of MBC’s 6th open recruitment class of actors and has long been beloved for his roles in numerous productions, including *Three Families Under One Roof*, *Country Diary*, *Apgujeong White Night*, and *Shine, Eun-soo*. Alongside his acting career, he has also been consistently active as a singer.