Hwasa, a member of the group MAMAMOO, has been embroiled in controversy over her performance at a university festival, sparking a heated debate.

On September 11th, CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' featured a discussion led by anchor Kim Hyun-jung with Shin Min-hyang, representative of the Student Parent Rights Protection Association, and pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik.

On May 12th, Hwasa performed at the Sungkyunkwan University festival in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where she showcased a provocative dance routine. This led to her being reported by Shin Min-hyang, representative of the Student Parent Rights Protection Association, on June 22nd. During her performance of MAMAMOO's medley and 'Don't Give It To Me', Hwasa licked her hand and then placed it on a specific body part.

Addressing the issue, anchor Kim Hyun-jung posed the question on her show, "Is Hwasa's performance art or obscenity? Given that K-pop is leading the global cultural scene, it's a topic worth discussing. We hope to hear both sides and let the audience form their own opinions." She then connected with both Shin Min-hyang and Kim Heon-sik for their perspectives.

Shin Min-hyang argued, "The dance move, which involves spreading the legs and touching the genital area, is completely out of context with the performance. This act falls under the obscenity clause of Article 245 of the Criminal Code."

She added, "Considering the case of the 'Barbarian Man', he was punished under Article 3, Clause 1, Item 33 of the Minor Offenses Act. Given that Hwasa's act was witnessed by a larger unspecified audience, its negative influence could be considered even greater."

On the other hand, pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik contended, "While some may find it distasteful, I believe this is a case of 'monster parents' excessively intervening in artistic freedom."

He further stated, "This is one of the behaviors where parents excessively intervene in everything under the guise of their child's education. The performance was primarily attended by college students. If there was an issue, it should have been pointed out voluntarily and publicly discussed. However, for a third-party parent organization, which wasn't even present at the venue, to report it and involve the police is inappropriate from both an artistic and freedom of expression standpoint."

Meanwhile, Hwasa has completed her police investigation regarding the report. Her agency, P Nation, confirmed on the 10th, "Hwasa did undergo a police investigation and cooperated fully."

The police summoned Hwasa as the accused to investigate the background and intent of the controversial performance. They plan to review the obscenity of the performance before deciding on any legal actions.

The obscenity law penalizes those who commit lewd acts in public places. If found guilty, one can face up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 5 million won, or detention.

When determining obscenity, the court considers the context and intent of the act, as well as societal changes.

Previously, G-Dragon, leader of the group BIGBANG, also faced an investigation for a provocative performance. In 2009, during a concert at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Songpa-gu, Seoul, he performed a bed routine suggestive of a sexual act.

At the time, the prosecution deemed the act suggestive but noted that the controversial performance lasted only 2 minutes in a 2-hour concert, with the explicit depiction lasting only a few seconds. They decided not to press charges, also taking into account that G-Dragon's performance was planned by his then-agency, YG Entertainment.

Copyright © 2023 Kpop Reporter. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.