W Korea is dealing with backlash after its latest breast most cancers consciousness occasion, prompting the style journal to difficulty a proper apology.
The apology, posted on the journal’s official Instagram account on Sunday, got here 4 days after the occasion, which was a part of W Korea’s long-running “Love Your W” marketing campaign. “We deeply apologize for failing to rigorously think about the attitude of breast most cancers sufferers and their households, and for inflicting discomfort and misery,” the assertion learn.
The journal defined that the marketing campaign, launched in 2006, has aimed to lift consciousness about early detection of breast most cancers over the previous twenty years. Nevertheless, it acknowledged that Wednesday’s occasion drew criticism for being inappropriate in content material and execution relative to the marketing campaign’s authentic objective. “We additionally remorse that many who participated in good religion and supported the marketing campaign’s targets might have been affected by the controversy,” the apology continued. “We’re reflecting on our shortcomings, particularly pondering of those that have been disheartened by the occasion.”
On-line criticism erupted nearly instantly. Feedback ranged from “How does having celebrities sing and snicker increase consciousness for breast most cancers?” to “They need to have simply donated the cash,” and “This was nothing greater than a star cocktail social gathering.” Critics additionally famous that not one of the contributors wore pink ribbons, the worldwide image of breast most cancers consciousness and prevention.
The controversy intensified after singer Jay Park carried out his track “Mommae” onstage. The sexually specific lyrics — together with traces comparable to “I don’t know what our relationship is, however I need to get launched to the dual sisters hanging in your chest” — have been broadly criticized as inappropriate for an consciousness occasion. Park issued his personal apology on Instagram on Thursday: “I apologize if any most cancers sufferers have been offended by my efficiency.”
In response to the backlash, W Korea has deleted all pictures and movies of the occasion from its Instagram account. The journal additionally confronted scrutiny over donations raised for the trigger. Based on Rep. Lee Soo-jin of the Democratic Get together, paperwork from the Ministry of Well being and
Welfare point out that W Korea donated a complete of 315.69 million gained ($222,000) to the Korea Breast Most cancers Basis between 2007 and 2024.
W Korea clarified that the donation totals embody company contributions made on to the muse by means of participation within the occasion, which can not have been counted within the reported complete. The journal said that the cumulative donations from 2006 to 2024 really quantity to 960 million gained, with a further 150 million gained anticipated this yr — bringing the 20-year complete to 1.1 billion gained. W Korea additionally famous that from 2007 to 2009, it donated roughly 130 million gained to the Seoul department of the Deliberate Inhabitants Federation of Korea.
