The ‘20th Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Charity Event‘, hosted by ‘W Korea‘, is facing scathing backlash from Korean netizens.
The event, which took place on the evening of October 15 KST at Four Seasons Kwanghwamun, attracted a long list of top celebrities and K-Pop idols including RM, J-Hope, and V of BTS, aespa, I-dle, Yujin, Wonyoung, and Rei of IVE, Bang Chan and Seungmin of Stray Kids, Sunghoon, Jake, and Jungwon of ENHYPEN, ALLDAY PROJECT, Taeyang, Hwa Sa, Jay Park, Lee Min Ho, Lee Dong Hwi, Lee Soo Hyuk, Lee Jun Ho, Lee Chae Min, Jung Hae In, Park Eun Bin, Choo Young Woo, Ha Jung Woo, Park Gyu Young, Gong Myung, and numerous other guests.
Using the slogan ‘LOVE YOUR W‘, ‘W Korea’ magazine has hosted this charity event every year since 2006. The event purportedly donates “all proceeds” to low-income groups seeking help with diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. As of this year, according to the magazine, the ‘LOVE YOUR W’ campaign for breast cancer has raised 1.1 billion KRW (~ $775,000 USD) cumulatively over the last 20 years.
However, footage of the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Party’ has triggered severe anger and criticism from onlookers. Many called out that the event in fact seemed to have “no awareness itself of the cause of breast cancer” and that “breast cancer was just an excuse for celebrities and the rich to have dinner and a party”.
Some even went as far as accusing the event of “mocking people with breast cancer”, as celebrity guests dressed up in sleeveless dresses (insensitive when considering that women diagnosed with breast cancer may undergo a mastectomy, or a full remove of the breasts); drank alcohol (drinking alcohol is prohibited for those receiving cancer treatment); and danced along to Jay Park performing “MOMMAE” (a song suggestively describing the female body). Others could not believe the fact that not a single celebrity wore a pink ribbon, the worldwide symbol of breast cancer awareness.
Perhaps the most scathing criticism of all was that the annual ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Charity Event’ has raised “next to nothing” in actual funds to assist with the breast cancer cause, as it was noted above that ‘W Korea’ raised approximately 1.1 billion KRW (~ $775,000 USD) cumulatively over the past 20 years. For onlookers, these numbers meant that very few, if any, of the celebrities who attended the event made any monetary donations for the cause.
Additionally, as one of the guest performers of the event, musician Jay Park also received the brunt of the criticism for performing his hit song “MOMMAE”, which includes the lyrics, “I want to be introduced to the twins, the twinnies hanging on your breasts”.
Korean netizens commented,
“How are those celebrities going to raise breast cancer awareness by just drinking and partying???”
“What did this do for breast cancer awareness? Absolutely nothing?? It’s just a bunch of celebrities drinking and dancing and pretending to be noblemen???”
“Use the money that you spent hosting this extravagant event and donate it to breast cancer!!”
“I can’t see this as anything but a fancy event held to mock breast cancer patients. That’s what you wanted, right ‘W Korea’?”
“They just wanted to have a luxurious dinner party with celebrities, and they needed an excuse, so they used breast cancer.”
“So none of the celebrities who went donated anything???”
“I’m a breast cancer survivor, and I had part of my breasts removed so they’re asymmetrical. I’m not allowed to drink alcohol ever again. Are you just trying to mock me??”
“Not a single celebrity who went to this dumb event cares about breast cancer. They just want to act like nobles and enjoy their luxury and superficial friendships.”
“1.1 billion won in 20 years kekekekekekeke. That’s nothing when I know how much those celebrities make!!”
“This is absolutely ridiculous. It’s all just an excuse for rich people to party and boast about how rich and refined they are!!”
SEE ALSO: aespa wins with “Rich Man” on ‘Inkigayo’ + performances from AxMxP, izna, and more!
