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W Korea’s ‘Love Your W’ Gala Draws Backlash as Jay Park Issues Apology

Online critics say the high-profile fundraiser showed little visible advocacy, prompting scrutiny of the campaign’s reported 1.1 billion won in donations over 20 years.

Overview

  • W Korea deleted event videos and posts, including Jay Park’s performance clip, and told outlets it could not provide a response.
  • Footage from the Oct. 15 event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul showed celebrities drinking and dancing with scant reference to breast cancer awareness.
  • Critics noted the absence of typical advocacy elements such as pink ribbons, survivor testimonies, or participation from medical experts.
  • The organizer says the two-decade campaign has donated a cumulative 1.1 billion won to the Korea Breast Health Foundation, which many called modest relative to the gala’s scale.
  • A since-removed post titled “Inside W Korea’s Breast Cancer Party” and Jay Park’s after-party performance of “Mommae” heightened perceptions of tone-deaf messaging.