Korean fashion magazine W Korea, which hosted a breast cancer awareness campaign on October 19 for World Breast Cancer Day, is under fire for allegedly holding 'a party in the name of charity.' The magazine claimed to have donated 1.1 billion KRW in total, but the actual amount given to the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation over 17 years was confirmed to be only 300 M KRW.
According to data submitted by Rep. Lee Soojin of Democratic Party to the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee on the 17th, W Korea donated a total of 315.69 million KRW between 2007 and November 2024. Annual donations peaked at 42.82 million KRW in 2012, dropped to 5 million KRW in 2016, and no donations made from 2017 to 2023. In 2024, they donated 125.3 million KRW.
Since 2006, W Korea has hosted the annual 'Love Your W' to raise breast cancer awareness and emphasize the importance of early detection. On its website, W Korea describes the event as 'the largest charity event in South Korea,' stating to 'support the activities of Korea Breast Cancer Foundation with donated proceeds and also support screening and treatment costs for women and low-income individuals through participation campaigns.' They claimed to have donated a total of 1.1 billion KRW and provided specialized medical checkups for 500 women. However, records show much smaller contributions.
'Love Your W' is usually held at luxury hotels in Seoul, sponsored by major fashion brands that donate money or products that celebrities and influencers wear on a photo wall. This year's event was held at the Four Seasons Hotel on the 15th. Dispatch reported that 29 luxury brands, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci participated in the donation. It is estimated that W Korea collected nearly 1 billion KRW in donations this year.
This is the reason why critics argue that the actual donation amount is excessively small compared to the scale of the event's operation costs. For reference, the '2025 Pink Run' hosted by several major health organizations on the 12th collected a total of 192.59 million KRW. Furthermore, the 'Pink Run', which started in 2021, has raised a total of 4.3 billion KRW in donations up to this year.
Above all, there is criticism about how an event where celebrities gather for congratulatory performances and drink champagne can improve breast cancer awareness. This year, W Korea set the dress code as 'party look' and restricted minors due to alcohol being served. The magazine's Instagram was also filled with videos of celebrity performances and viral challenges. There were only few visible references to pink ribbons or breast cancer awareness messages, contradicting the purpose of the campaign which fueled the controversy.
As glamorous photos from the event circulated online, netizens criticized the event for being 'unrelated to improve breast cancer awareness.' Some others saying that the event 'is hurtful to the actual breast cancer patients,' and pointed out, 'What does drinking alcohol have to do with preventing breast cancer?'
Rep. Lee Soojin stated, "I understand the public's anger toward this thoughtless private event. As a member of the Health and Welfare Committee, I will continue to work with the government to expand support for women suffering from breast cancer."
Meanwhile, the number of breast cancer patients in South Korea has been rapidly increasing every year. According to the statistics, the number increased five times from 5,890 patients in 1999 to 29,528 patients in 2022. This increase is notable compared to the 2.8 times increase in the total number of overall cancer cases over the same period.
https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/310/0000130428?sid=102
1. [+107][-0] Hul... They lied about the donation amount? What kind of nerve do they have in this day and age?ㅋㅋ
2. [+44][-0] The National Tax Service should probably audit them. Donations are all digitized now. How much did they pocket? And how much did they receive from the brand sponsorships?... Is this why they never sold the magazine?
3. [+37][-0] At this point, I'm starting to suspect W Korea...
4. [+17][-0] Considering they promoted it as the biggest charity event in the country, this is cruel. Where exactly did all that donation money go?
5. [+12][-0] Calling it a breast cancer charity event when it's just famous celebrities drinking and partying like it's a club? No wonder there was a huge drop in donations. Get rid of events like this. They should hold charity marathons instead. Even if they have a good intention, partying like they're in a club is not the way to do it.
