W Korea issued a formal apology over its Oct. 15 KST event ‘Love Your W’—a breast-cancer awareness campaign—acknowledging that “the program’s composition and execution were not appropriate in light of the campaign’s purpose.” The company recognized the discomfort caused to patients, families, and participants and said it would “re-examine the entire process from planning to execution.”
Industry reaction remains chilly. Multiple management companies said that even if the event’s direction is fundamentally revised, they are reluctant to send talent for the time being. One representative noted, “When controversy erupts, celebrities take all the heat and ridicule, while organizers are seen as hiding in the background.” Another manager said, “Fans are asking why we sent them to that event. If we participate next year, it will be hard to avoid negative coverage and backlash,” adding that the organizer should also “disclose the contested donation use in a transparent way.”
Criticism centered on the view that the concept and operation of the event muddied the campaign’s original purpose. W Korea reiterated that the core has been raising awareness of early screening and funding surgeries for low-income patients, and pledged to keep addressing shortcomings highlighted by the backlash. Whether the outlet can present concrete fixes and verify transparent handling of donations will likely determine if trust can be restored.
Full Statement
Hello, this is W Korea.
‘Love Your W’ is a breast-cancer awareness campaign launched in 2006. For 20 years, we have worked to promote the importance of early screening. However, we recognize that the Oct. 15 event drew criticism that its composition and execution were not appropriate in light of the campaign’s purpose, and we take this seriously.
Above all, we deeply apologize for causing discomfort and hurt by failing to consider the perspectives of breast-cancer patients and their families with sufficient care.
We are also sorry to the many people who participated with good intentions and empathy for the campaign’s mission, only to be troubled by the controversy.
Keeping in mind the feelings of everyone who was distressed by this event, we are reflecting on our shortcomings.
Over the years, the heart of this campaign has been to spread awareness of early detection and to support the Korean Breast Cancer Foundation in funding surgeries and treatment for low-income patients—efforts sustained by the warm support of many contributors. So that their sincere goodwill does not lose its shine, we will continue to examine areas of insufficiency based on the criticism and feedback we have received. We will use this incident as an opportunity to scrutinize more closely every step of planning and execution.
Thank you.
W Korea
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