The ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Charity Event’ hosted by the well-known magazine ‘W Korea’ is being criticized for deviating from its original purpose.
On the 15th, the ’20th Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Charity Event’ held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, saw top stars gather such as BTS (RM, J-Hope, V), IVE (Jang Wonyoung, An Yujin, Rei), and aespa (Karina, Winter, Ningning, Giselle), along with actors Ko Hyun-jung, Lee Young-ae, Byun Woo-seok, Lee Jun-hyuk, and Go Soo.
Since 2006, W Korea has conducted the breast cancer awareness campaign under the slogan ‘LOVE YOUR W’ and has held charity events annually in the fall, donating proceeds to free breast cancer screenings and support for surgery and treatment for low-income patients.
It is known that W Korea has donated a total of 1.1 billion KRW over the past 20 years through this campaign.
However, this event has come under fire for straying from its original purpose of ‘breast cancer awareness improvement’ with its content and manner of conduct.
The charity event consisted of a photo session with celebrities in luxury outfits, congratulatory performances, and a champagne party.
Photos and videos posted by W Korea on social media showed stars mingling and socializing while holding toasts.
Entertainers were seen enjoying by participating in trending challenges and dancing, yet it was hard to find mentions of breast cancer or its awareness improvement.
On social media and online communities, criticisms emerged, saying, “What does drinking and partying among celebrities have to do with breast cancer awareness improvement?”, “Breast cancer charity event with no breast cancer focus”, “How is this improving breast cancer awareness when it’s not even mentioned in interviews?”, “Go volunteer for breast cancer patients or medical staff”, “Alcohol is one of the worst things for breast cancer”.
Especially, Jay Park’s song choice in his congratulatory performance sparked further controversy. Jay Park performed the song ‘MOMMAE’ released in 2015.
This song is known for its provocative lyrics appreciating a woman’s body, requiring adult verification for listening on music platforms.
In response, an online user who disclosed they were battling breast cancer questioned, “I wonder if the celebs at the event even searched for a single thing about breast cancer,” adding, “Such parties seem to mock patients who can’t even swallow a sip of water during chemotherapy.” Another online user criticized, “Having lost a family member to breast cancer, this event is truly distasteful,” suggesting, “Just have the party without the breast cancer tag.”
