[OSENWORLD] Actress Park Bo-young was reportedly barred from walking the red carpet at W Korea’s annual breast cancer awareness event after not wearing sponsored stockings — sparking a controversy that later grew to include criticism of the gala’s tone and performances.
According to Dispatch on October 17, the incident took place at last year’s Love Your W charity gala, hosted by W Korea in partnership with luxury brand sponsors. The report stated that an actress, later identified as Park Bo-young, was prevented from standing on the photo wall because she did not wear the brand’s designated stockings.
Sources said Park Bo-young was assigned a full look from sponsor brand V, but due to sizing issues with the stockings, she attended the event bare-legged. However, W Korea staff reportedly refused to allow full-body photos, insisting that all sponsored items had to be worn to appear on the red carpet.
Although Park’s name was listed among official attendees, she was not seen at the photo wall. W Korea’s official account uploaded only a cropped upper-body photo of her, while full-body shots later surfaced on social media through other attendees.
The incident resurfaced amid a broader backlash over W Korea’s 20th Love Your W campaign, held this month at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. Critics argued that the gala’s presentation — featuring luxury sponsorships, a lavish dinner, and celebrity appearances — failed to reflect its stated mission of breast cancer awareness and support.
Observers also noted the absence of symbolic pink ribbons or references to breast cancer advocacy during the event. Reports further highlighted that, despite 20 years of fundraising, total donations from the campaign have amounted to just around 1.1 billion KRW (approximately USD 800,000).
The controversy deepened when singer Jay Park performed his 2015 hit MOMMAE during the after-party, a song known for its sexually suggestive lyrics referencing women’s bodies. Many online commenters accused the organizers of being tone-deaf, calling the performance inappropriate for a breast cancer awareness gala.
Jay Park later issued an apology, saying, “The official charity event had already ended, and the after-party performance was meant to be casual entertainment for attendees. If any cancer patients or guests were offended or uncomfortable, I sincerely apologize. I wish you good health.” W Korea subsequently deleted the performance video from its official social media accounts.
When asked about the controversy, a W Korea representative told OSEN, “We have no official comment.”
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
Courtesy of OSEN, SNS
