W Korea is facing backlash after its recent breast cancer awareness event, prompting the fashion magazine to issue a formal apology.
The apology, posted on the magazine’s official Instagram account on Sunday, came four days after the event, which was part of W Korea’s long-running “Love Your W” campaign. “We deeply apologize for failing to carefully consider the perspective of breast cancer patients and their families, and for causing discomfort and distress,” the statement read.
The magazine explained that the campaign, launched in 2006, has aimed to raise awareness about early detection of breast cancer over the past two decades. However, it acknowledged that Wednesday’s event drew criticism for being inappropriate in content and execution relative to the campaign’s original purpose. “We also regret that many who participated in good faith and supported the campaign’s goals may have been affected by the controversy,” the apology continued. “We are reflecting on our shortcomings, especially thinking of those who were disheartened by the event.”
Online criticism erupted almost immediately. Comments ranged from “How does having celebrities sing and laugh raise awareness for breast cancer?” to “They should have just donated the money,” and “This was nothing more than a celebrity cocktail party.” Critics also noted that none of the participants wore pink ribbons, the global symbol of breast cancer awareness and prevention.
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The controversy intensified after singer Jay Park performed his song “Mommae” onstage. The sexually explicit lyrics — including lines such as “I don’t know what our relationship is, but I want to get introduced to the twin sisters hanging on your chest” — were widely criticized as inappropriate for an awareness event. Park issued his own apology on Instagram on Thursday: “I apologize if any cancer patients were offended by my performance.”
In response to the backlash, W Korea has deleted all photos and videos of the event from its Instagram account. The magazine also faced scrutiny over donations raised for the cause. According to Rep. Lee Soo-jin of the Democratic Party, documents from the Ministry of Health and
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Welfare indicate that W Korea donated a total of 315.69 million won ($222,000) to the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation between 2007 and 2024.
W Korea clarified that the donation totals include corporate contributions made directly to the foundation through participation in the event, which may not have been counted in the reported total. The magazine stated that the cumulative donations from 2006 to 2024 actually amount to 960 million won, with an additional 150 million won expected this year — bringing the 20-year total to 1.1 billion won. W Korea also noted that from 2007 to 2009, it donated roughly 130 million won to the Seoul branch of the Planned Population Federation of Korea.
