Please, tell us about yourself.

Hello. I am An Yu Jin, and I am in charge of the Pink Ribbon campaign at the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation. I began my career at an NGO to support child welfare campaigns and others. Then I joined the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation in 2018. I believe that it's knowledge or perception that drives action. And I am proud of my work, designing and running campaigns that positively influence people's perceptions and their health.

Please, introduce the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation to us. What does the foundation do?

The Korea Breast Cancer Foundation is Korea's first public foundation for breast health. Funded entirely by Amorepacific, the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 2000, and it celebrated its 20th-anniversary last year. I can proudly say that our foundation is dedicated to supporting the true beauty and health of women. According to the white paper on breast cancer by the Korean Breast Cancer Society, for women diagnosed at an early stage, the probability of surviving breast cancer is high at 95%. In Western countries, 85% of breast cancer cases occur in the postmenopausal period, whereas in Asian countries, including Korea, half of the breast cancers diagnoses are made before menopause. This shows the importance of early detection, and this is why the foundation aims to raise awareness of the importance of the early diagnosis of breast cancer and self-checkups through the Pink Ribbon campaign.
As part of the Pink Ribbon campaign, we have a marathon event called Pink Run and a program called Pink Tour for teaching people how to do a breast self-examination. We also have provided funds for breast cancer patients and support at the community level. We recently started a new project to provide financial support for gene testing of breast cancer risk, particularly for those with a family history of breast cancer.

The Pink Run event was held this month. Please, tell us about it.

Pink Run is a marathon event designed to communicate the importance of breast cancer awareness, and this year is celebrating its 21st anniversary. As the key program of the Pink Ribbon campaign, the marathon event has collected over KRW 4 billion from nearly 370,000 participants since its beginning in 2000. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, we hosted the event in the five largest cities of Korea, through which participants can run together, learn how to do self-examinations, and become more mindful of their health. Plus, it also featured games and shows for family attendees.
Since last year, due to COVID-19, we decided to hold it as a non-face-to-face event – the Pink Run Plus. Thankfully though, many have still participated. People from 164 countries worldwide downloaded the running app and took part in the Pink Run Plus challenge. Even though we missed the outdoor on-site event, it was meaningful that so many people from around the world could participate, learn about the purpose of Pink Run and help raise awareness of breast cancer. To add to the virtual celebration, we also hosted the Pink Move Challenge this year, together with influencers including Lia Kim, to spark an interest in breast health among teenagers. We are hoping many younger audiences will join us in the cause.
In addition to these programs mainly happening in Korea, Amorepacific has been actively globalizing and hosting international versions of Pink Run. In 2016, Amorepacific China started Molipao, which comes from the Chinese word, moli, which means jasmine, and pao, to run. It is dedicated to the same purpose: for the healthy beauty of women and awareness of breast health.

What was your most memorable moment during your past Pink Run events?

Jogging was not widely popular yet in Korea when we began Pink Run over twenty years ago, but today reserving a spot in the event has become a race itself, even for Amorepacific employees. I am glad running has turned into a full-on cultural movement, and Pink Run has become popular. And even though we held a non-face-to-face event this year, we saw more applicants than expected, and the event was fully booked after only four days of opening. I felt so proud.
Every event is meaningful to me, but the 2019 Pink Run in Seoul, which we hosted right before COVID-19, is a distant yet vivid memory. With Pink Run Plus, anyone can participate from wherever they are, but at the event held offline, everyone had to come together and start running at the sound of the starting pistol. I think there is a beauty that only that moment can provide. Seeing participants running, enjoying the programs at the booths, and their big smiles on their faces while watching the stage performance, used to make me feel so rewarded. Offline events take much effort and time, but ironically I miss them the most.