On Wednesday, October 15, fashion magazine organization W Korea held an event for entertainment industry elites in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Over a hundred celebrities, from Kpop idols to famous actors and actresses, filled the venue in Seoul and quickly made the event one of the biggest of the year. But as the media circulated with images from the campaign, all parties involved faced extreme backlash. Less than a week later as pressures continued to rise, the organization released an apology statement.
The “Love Your W” charity event, which has been annually held since 2006, initially began as a positive initiative to raise funds for promoting breast cancer awareness and screenings. Successful Korean leaders and celebrities would gather to perform or speak on the issue, bringing in large amounts of donations and public attention in the process. This year, however, conflicts arose as the event turned into a celebrity party in which the original purpose seemed to have been forgotten.
Videos from the day revealed celebrities drinking alcohol, dancing to derogatory performances, and wearing clothes from their sponsored brands instead of incorporating pink, the color linked to breast cancer awareness. “Controversy [especially] erupted during the after-party, where singer Jay Park’s ‘Body’ performance drew criticism,” The Chosun Daily stated. “The song’s lyrics, which describe women’s breasts, and its provocative choreography were deemed inconsistent with the event’s theme of breast cancer awareness.”
W Korea’s silence and inaction made the public further enraged, many pointing out that images of the party on the organization’s various social media platforms continued to stay for days following the event. The posts have been taken down alongside an attempt to apologize by the organization four days later.
“Since 2006, Love Your W has focused on raising awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer,” the organization stated, according to The Korea Herald. “However, we recognize that the format and atmosphere of this year’s event did not reflect the purpose of the campaign, and we take these concerns seriously. Most importantly, we deeply apologize to breast cancer patients and their families for any discomfort or hurt we may have caused. We also apologize to those who participated with good intentions and were affected by the controversy.”
As the event led to close scrutiny of the organization, however, additional issues have been found within the annual campaign. According to The Chosun Daily, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee revealed the amount of donations made by W Korea to the Korea Breast Health Foundation within the past 19 years. Unlike the 1.1 billion Korean won—around $760,000—claimed by W Korea, the actual number amounted to a bit under 316 million Korean won—around $220,000. The organization has not yet commented on the accusations.
Since then, many high-profile celebrities have been subject to extreme criticism from the public. Actress Jo Yu-ri, who recently rose to fame through the Squid Games series, has lost hundreds of thousands of followers after videos of her partying circulated, and Jo Se-ho, one of the most famous comedians in South Korea, had his social media flooded with comments vilifying his thoughtless drinking of alcohol at a breast cancer awareness event. Videos on platforms like TikTok have been filled with negative sentiments about the event, some mockingly relating it to Marie Antionette’s famous alleged quote “Let them eat cake.”
Although it initially began as a necessary initiative to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer, W Korea’s event only led to what many saw as a direct insult to patients. Instead of a place of respect, the venue ended up being a social gathering, a serious issue affecting millions globally completely disregarded. While the organization may argue on the basis of having harbored positive intentions, the blatant insincerity of all parties involved has already left irreversible damage.
