Fashion magazine W Korea officially responded to recent allegations surrounding its breast cancer awareness campaign donations, clarifying that the cumulative total of its contributions stands at 1.1 billion KRW (about 773,700 USD), including funds previously omitted from public records.
In a statement released to TopStarNews on October 18, W Korea said, "The total donation amount from' W Korea’s Breast Cancer Awareness campaign' includes both the funds directly delivered by W Korea and those contributed independently by participating companies and individuals. These donations are autonomously used by the foundation for related projects.”
The publication also shared a detailed breakdown of its donations, adding that it has verified all records in cooperation with the Korea Breast Health Foundation. “Since our first collaboration in 2006, W Korea and the foundation have continued the campaign under the same model, except for the years 2007 to 2009, during which donations were made to another organization. All relevant records have been cross-checked and confirmed to match the data submitted by the foundation to the Ministry of Health and Welfare,” the statement said.
The clarification comes after reports claimed that only around 300 million KRW (about 211,000 USD) had been donated over 17 years. W Korea countered that these reports only reflected the funds directly transferred by the magazine to the Korea Breast Health Foundation, excluding separate contributions made by companies and individuals who participated in the campaign.
According to W Korea, from 2007 to 2009, donations were made to the Seoul branch of the Korea Population, Health, and Welfare Association instead of the Korea Breast Health Foundation, explaining why those records were not included in the ministry’s documents obtained by Representative Lee Soo Jin of the Democratic Party.
“When adding the omitted corporate and individual donations, as well as the three years of contributions to the Population, Health, and Welfare Association, the total cumulative amount donated between 2006 and 2024 amounts to 960 million KRW (about 675,228 USD),” W Korea stated. “Including the 150 million KRW (about $105,504 USD) planned for 2025, the total over 20 years reaches 1.1 billion KRW (about 773,700 USD).”
Earlier, data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare toRepresentative Lee Soo Jin indicated that W Korea had donated 315.69 million KRW (about 222,045 USD) to the Korea Breast Health Foundation from 2007 to November 2024, prompting public scrutiny and questions over the transparency of the campaign’s finances.
Recently, W Korea hosted its annual 'Love Your W' breast cancer awareness campaign event at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Jongno District. However, the event drew criticism online, with some claiming that its presentation diverged from the campaign’s intended message of promoting breast cancer awareness.
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