W Korea Clarifies Fundraising Figures Amid Backlash Over Donations

W Korea has faced significant criticism regarding its annual breast cancer awareness campaign, “Love Your W.” This follows allegations that the company has misrepresented its financial contributions to the Korea Breast Health Foundation over the years. A recent report suggested that W Korea’s total donations amounted to just ₩315 million KRW (approximately $222,000 USD) since the campaign’s inception in 2006. This figure starkly contrasts with the ₩1.10 billion KRW (around $774,000 USD) previously claimed by the magazine, leading to public outrage.

The backlash intensified after netizens expressed their discontent, claiming that the event’s organizers did not take the cause seriously enough. W Korea’s star-studded charity event was perceived as trivializing the struggles of cancer patients, which triggered further scrutiny of their financial transparency.

In a bid to clarify the situation, W Korea issued a statement to TopStarNews on October 18, 2023. The company explained that the reported figures included only the magazine’s direct contributions, excluding additional donations made by participating companies and individuals during the “Love Your W” campaign. W Korea emphasized that since its collaboration with the Korea Breast Health Foundation began, they have consistently verified all donations with the foundation.

According to W Korea, the data presented by Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Soo Jin inaccurately reflected their contributions, as it did not account for the additional funds raised through the campaign. The company clarified that from 2007 to 2009, donations were directed to a different organization, the Seoul branch of the Planned Population Federation of Korea, resulting in some records being unverifiable under the current foundation’s data.

W Korea stated, “If we add the direct donations from companies and individuals that were omitted from the submitted data, along with the amounts donated to the Seoul branch of the Planned Population Federation of Korea during those three years, the total accumulated donation from 2006 to 2024 is not ₩315 million KRW but ₩960 million KRW.” They also noted that including the anticipated ₩150 million KRW contribution for 2025 would bring the total over the two decades to approximately ₩1.1 billion KRW.

Despite this clarification, W Korea’s response has not quelled the criticism surrounding their campaign. The controversy highlights the increasing demand for transparency in charitable contributions, particularly when public sentiment is involved. As W Korea continues its campaign, it faces the challenge of rebuilding trust with both its supporters and the wider public.