On October 19, four days after the now-infamous event, W Korea finally issued a belated apology through social media, admitting to “inappropriate composition and execution” of the campaign. The apology acknowledged the hurt caused to breast cancer patients and their families, and promised a comprehensive review of their event planning moving forward.
However, the apology did little to ease the public’s anger. Netizens criticized W Korea for disabling comment sections on their posts, including the apology itself, viewing it as an attempt to avoid accountability. Ironically, this led many to flood unrelated posts with complaints — most notably, a recent fashion video of actress Hyeri, which had been uploaded just before the apology.
Though Hyeri had no involvement in organizing the event, she became the unfortunate target of backlash. Comments ranged from “What’s the point of an apology if you shut off feedback?” to “Hyeri, open your comment section and apologize properly,” despite her having no role in the issue. While some online voices defended her, urging others to “direct criticism toward W Korea, not innocent celebrities,” the emotional fallout had already begun to snowball.
The controversy also ensnared comedian Jo Se-ho, who appeared at the event and was seen raising a glass with Rosé of BLACKPINK and actor Lee Dong-hwi. Critics slammed the atmosphere as a “celebrity drinking party”, questioning the appropriateness of such scenes at a breast cancer awareness campaign.
Jo Se-ho’s appearance drew even sharper criticism due to his current role on tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block”, where he is set to host an episode featuring Park Mi-sun, a veteran actress returning to television after undergoing treatment for early-stage breast cancer. “How can he look Park Mi-sun in the eye after that event?” one user asked.
Still, others called for restraint. “Neither Hyeri nor Jo Se-ho planned this event,” one comment read. “Blaming every attendee equally is unfair. The responsibility lies with the organizers.”
Sources: OSEN,W Korea,tvN,Instagram
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