"That $1.1 Million is a Gimmick": W Korea Donation Claims Scrutinized

1. W Korea sent a detailed breakdown of its donation history. It was an Excel file listing the donation amounts and recipients over the past 19 years.

2. W Korea requested a correction to previous reports, stating, "There seems to be a misunderstanding about the donations," and insisted, "The combined donation amount (including brands) is indeed 1.1 billion KRW (approximately $1.1 million) to date."

3. The concept of "combined with brands" was introduced for the first time.

4. We are now disclosing the donation statement provided by W Korea.

5. The total amount W Korea directly donated in its name over 19 years is 437,970,970 KRW (approx. $330,000).

6. This total includes: The Korean Breast Cancer Foundation (315,694,349 KRW) + the Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association (122,276,621 KRW).

7. W Korea attempted to explain the discrepancy: "From 2007 to 2009, we donated to the 'Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association,' which was omitted from the data released by Assemblywoman Lee Su-jin's office."

8. Even with this addition, the amount falls far short. 1.1 Billion KRW - 400 Million KRW = 700 Million KRW (Approx. $530,000) is still missing.

9. How did W Korea account for this 'difference'?

10. W Korea's statement: "The donation for the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign is calculated by combining (1) the amount directly delivered by W Korea and (2) the amount directly delivered to the foundation by participating companies and individuals, according to their intentions. Therefore, the total donation amount over 20 years is correctly 1.1 billion KRW." (W)

11. Dispatch re-examined the statement provided by W Korea. The total amount, including donations from W Korea, brands, and individuals, amounted to 957,168,970 KRW.

12. "It's still 950 million KRW. What about the remaining 150 million KRW?" (Dispatch)

13. W Korea replied again.

14. "We plan to additionally donate 150 million KRW in December. Therefore, the total is 1.1 billion KRW." (W)

15. W Korea had clearly advertised on its website that it had "donated a cumulative 1.1 billion KRW over 20 years." However, this 1.1 billion KRW was not a past tense figure but a future-tense one, including money that has not yet been paid.

The Problem of 'Gifting' Other People's Donations


16. Dispatch referred to the Korean dictionary.

17. Donation (Gibu 寄附): To give money or goods 'without compensation' to help a charity or public project. (National Institute of Korean Language's Standard Korean Dictionary)

18. The money W Korea 'gave out' is 400 million KRW. The remaining 700 million KRW came from brands and individuals. Can this money be "lumped in" with W Korea's own donation amount?

19. For example, if a fan club donates in the name of a celebrity, would that celebrity include the fan club's money in their personal donation record? To date, no such celebrity has done so.

20. We opened the dictionary again, finding the word 'Contribution'.

21. Contribution (Giyeo 寄與): To assist in a helpful way.

22. W Korea should have used more accurate hashtags:

23. # Donated_Amount: 400 Million KRW, # Contributed_Amount: 700 Million KRW.

Tax and Sponsorship Ambiguities

24. An outstanding question remains regarding taxes. The National Tax Service provides tax benefits for donations over a certain amount.

25. If (as W Korea claims) the brand donations were aggregated into the magazine's own campaign donation sum, who received the tax benefit?

26. If W Korea received the tax benefit, they should immediately repay the taxes. Conversely, if the brands or individuals received the benefit, it proves that this money cannot be claimed as a W Korea donation.

27. The nature of the brand and individual donations is also ambiguous. If brands enjoyed promotional benefits, such as product exposure at the 'Breast Cancer Party,' the line between a pure donation and an advertising sponsorship becomes blurred.

28. Dispatch asked a follow-up question regarding the promotional photo featuring Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-maan.

29. "Chairman Park Yong-maan took a commemorative photo in 2016 holding a panel that read 'Charity Fund 50 Million KRW.' However, the total donations from brands and the general public that year amounted to 45 Million KRW. Did you round up?" (Dispatch)

30. W Korea responded: "Some individual donors did not process receipts, and some did not want to publicize their donation."

31. Dispatch re-examined the panel the Chairman was holding. The phrase visible was "Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Charity Fund."

32. Charity Fund?

33. A fund (Gigeum) is capital raised for a specific project. It is managed by an 'institution' that organizes the collection. 'Public interest corporations' or 'non-profit organizations' fulfill this role.

34. In other words, a private company cannot form or manage a fund.

35. If brands or individuals donated directly to the Breast Cancer Foundation, it is their donation, not the W Campaign's fund. This is a point W Korea cannot claim credit for.

36. Love Your W.

37. What exactly did W Korea love? While their party was endlessly glamorous, their excuses are increasingly desperate.