MAMAMOO’s Hwasa under police investigation over controversial stage performance

K-pop sensation MAMAMOO‘s Hwasa has recently been under police investigation due to a provocative stage performance that led to legal complaints from a student-parent human rights organization.

According to the police on September 10, Hwasa was summoned by the Seongdong Police Station in Seoul at the end of August for questioning that lasted around three hours. The inquiry focused on the background and intent of her recent controversial performance, which has been criticized as inappropriate.

Earlier, in May, Hwasa performed at a festival at Sungkyunkwan University for the recording of tvN’s show ‘Dance Singer Band’. During her stage performance of the song “Don’t Give It To Me,” she made specific actions like licking her finger and pointing it toward certain body parts.

The performance started to circulate online shortly after the festival, igniting a debate over its appropriateness. The student-parent human rights organization filed a complaint against Hwasa in June, asking for an investigation on the grounds of public indecency.

The police have completed the summons and questioning, and they are currently reviewing whether the performance should be considered indecent. Their decision on whether to proceed with charges will be made after this evaluation.

In South Korea, if one is found guilty of public indecency in a place accessible to an unspecified number of people, the person could face up to a year in prison or a fine of up to 5 million KRW, or be subject to detention or a summary order.

However, the legal definition of indecency can vary according to societal changes and the intent and context of the action. The Supreme Court has previously established that evaluations must be made “objectively and normatively, according to sound societal norms, from the perspective of an average person in society.”