Hundreds of netizens have condemned South Korea’s annual “Love Your W 2025” breast cancer awareness gala after videos showed celebrities drinking, dancing and performing without any visible support for the cause.
Held on September 15 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, the event promised a gala dinner and party to celebrate the magazine’s 20th consecutive charity campaign, but many attendees and critics felt the evening had little to do with breast cancer awareness.
Critics have pointed out that the common symbols of breast anti-cancer campaigns, such as pink ribbons and dress codes, were absent. Instead of promoting the advance screening or sharing survivor stories, guests dressed in black enjoyed an after-party where singer Jay Park performed his 2015 hit “Body (MOMMAE),” a song containing lyrics describing “twin sisters hanging on your chest.” Many argued that this performance directly undermined the event’s stated purpose and mocked patients who face breast removal surgeries as part of treatment.
Jay Park issued a public apology on October 16, making it clear that he believed the performance was part of an after-party rather than the official campaign program. “If any cancer patient was offended by my performance, I apologize. I performed with good intentions and without compensation, despite my injury,” he said, adding an appeal that his “goodwill not be misused” by those controversies stirred up.
W Korea quietly deleted Jay Park’s video performance from its social media channels, but declined to offer further comment, simply saying, “We cannot provide an answer” to questions about the backlash.
According to the magazine, the “Love Your W” campaign has donated a total of 1.1 billion Korean won to the Korea Breast Health Foundation over 20 years, averaging 55 million won per year. Critics have noted that this figure pales in comparison to other national breast cancer fundraising efforts, such as Pink Run, which has raised 4.2 billion won in 24 years.
A small number of supporters defended the event, claiming it was celebrity-driven involvement increases visibility and that fundraising totals alone do not capture the impact of an event. However, for many patients and supporters, the apparent disconnect between celebration and support for “Love Your W 2025” has highlighted the need for charitable events to align more closely with their causes in both message and substance.
