W Korea magazine has formally apologized amidst the growing controversy over its breast cancer awareness campaign “Love Your W.”
On October 15, W Korea held its 20th annual party for its breast cancer awareness campaign, “Love Your W 2025,” at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. This year, the event came under fire for multiple reasons, including its emphasis on drinking and partying, with some pointing out that the magazine did not mention breast cancer once throughout the evening.
Many people also criticized the magazine for not having donated enough to the cause over the years despite having received substantial sponsorship money from fashion and jewelry brands, with some accusing W Korea of using breast cancer as an excuse to make money. Others argued that the revealing outfits worn by the celebrity attendees, which were said to have been chosen by W Korea, were insensitive to those battling breast cancer.
One aspect of the party that particularly drew outrage was footage of Jay Park performing his song “MOMMAE” (the title of which literally translates to “body”), including the lyric: “I want to meet the twin sisters on your chest.”
As the controversy continued to grow, W Korea ultimately issued the following apology on October 19:
This is W Korea.
The breast cancer awareness campaign “Love Your W” is a campaign that began in 2006 and has striven for the past 20 years to increase awareness of the importance of early breast cancer screenings.
However, the event on October 15 sparked criticism that its format and execution were inappropriate in light of the objective of the campaign, and we are taking this criticism seriously.Above all else, we would like to deeply apologize for having caused discomfort and pain by failing to carefully consider the perspective of breast cancer patients and their families.
Additionally, we feel deeply apologetic when we think of how this controversy must have inconvenienced the many people who participated in our event with good intentions because they empathized with the campaign’s purpose.
We are reflecting on our shortcomings while thinking of all the people who were hurt by this event.
Over the years, at the heart of this campaign has been the activities of the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation, which raises awareness of the importance of early breast cancer detection and helps cover surgical costs for patients in need of financial assistance, along with the support of the people who have shown warmhearted interest in supporting [the foundation’s] activities.
In order to ensure that their heartfelt sincerity shines through, we will continue to examine our shortcomings based on the various criticisms and rebukes we have received. We will take this incident as an opportunity to more carefully reexamine the entire process of event planning and execution.Thank you.
Sincerely, W Korea
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