At a breast cancer awareness campaign event hosted by W Korea (W Korea), singer Park Jae-beom, who faced heavy criticism over his song choice, did not attend the photocall, drawing attention to the background.
The luxury brand beauty event scheduled to be held in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul, on the 23rd announced that Taeyeon will attend instead of Park Jae-beom.
In this regard, the brand said, "It is true that the attendee was changed. As the program changed, we judged that the attendance of a female celebrity was more appropriate."
Some raised suspicions that the change in the celebrity invitation for Park Jae-beom was related to the recent controversy over his inappropriate song choice at a breast cancer–related event.
On the 15th, Park Jae-beom attended W Korea's breast cancer awareness campaign 'LOVE YOUR W 2025' and sang "Body" on the celebratory stage. Online communities and social media pointed out that the song choice was inappropriate.
In response, Park Jae-beom said, "After the official breast cancer campaign event ended, the party and performance were gatherings held with good intentions and hearts, excluding busy schedules, so I performed as usual. If any cancer patients felt offended or uncomfortable after seeing my performance, I apologize," and added, "I prepared the stage diligently without pay despite being injured, so please do not exploit good intentions."
As suspicions about the celebrity replacement intensified, the brand dismissed them, saying, "That is not the case at all. It was a change in the lineup due to a program change."
Meanwhile, regarding the controversy over the breast cancer–related event, W Korea said, "There were criticisms that the composition and conduct of the Oct. 15 event were inappropriate in light of the campaign's purpose, and we take this matter seriously. Above all, we sincerely apologize for causing discomfort and hurt by not carefully considering the positions of breast cancer patients and their families. We also feel sorry when we think of the many people who participated with goodwill in sympathy with the campaign's purpose and who may have been inconvenienced by the controversy."
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