“Is This What A Cancer Awareness Campaign Supposed To Be?” W Korea Faces Immense Backlash For Breast Cancer Event + Deletes Instagram Post
Fashion magazine W Korea, which hosted the breast cancer awareness campaign event “Love Your W 2025,” has faced severe criticism from k-netizens.
The “Love Your W 2025” event, held on the 15th of October at a hotel in Seoul, was the largest domestic breast cancer awareness campaign hosted by W Korea for 20 years. Dozens of celebrities attended the gala dinner and party, brightening the event.
However, online criticism quickly arose, noting that there were almost no mentions or performances related to breast cancer. The backlash intensified after Jay Park performed his 2015 song “MOMMAE” on the celebratory stage. The song explicitly describes women’s bodies and references full breasts, leading to criticism that it “directly contradicts the purpose of a breast cancer awareness campaign.”
One breast cancer patient commented, “I wonder if the attendees even searched for the word ‘breast cancer.’ For patients, it feels like mockery.” Another netizen added, “They should just hold a party without calling it breast cancer. As someone who lost a family member to breast cancer, the drinking and the ‘MOMMAE’ performance make me frown.”
There was also structural criticism of the event itself. Unlike overseas breast cancer charity events where pink dress codes and pink ribbons are standard, such elements were hard to find at the event. Additionally, the total donation over 20 years amounted to only 1.1 billion won [$776,350], which means the event raised less than 38,000$ each year since it began shocking netizens.
As the backlash intensified. Fans spotted W Korea quietly deleting videos of the event from their Instagram page.
W Korea also quietly deleted the video of Jay Park’s performance after the issue arose. However, regarding inquiries about the controversy, the organizers only stated, “No comment.”
Then, on the 16th of Ocotber, a W Korea official told OSEN regarding the controversy surrounding the event, “We cannot provide a response.”
Source: (A)
