Mamamoo's Hwasa under fire for 'obscene' performance on campus of South Korean university

Suzanne Sng
The Straits Times
Jul 11, 2023

K-idol Hwasa of girl group Mamamoo is being investigated by South Korean police for public indecency after a performance in May on the campus of Sungkyunkwan University.

According to various media, a parent-student association, Solidarity for the Protection of Human Rights of Students and Parents, lodged a police report, accusing the 27-year-old of “a lewd act”.

Speaking to the South Korean media, the association’s leader, Ms Shin Min-hyang, said: “At Sungkyunkwan University, in a public place where the public can see, she committed an obscene act that has nothing to do with music.”

In clips that have gone viral on social media, Hwasa, dressed in denim shorts, is seen squatting, then licking her palm and moving her hand down between her legs.

The association added that “Hwasa’s suggestive gesture was enough to bring embarrassment and shame to the public who witnessed it”.

Seongdong Police in Seoul said on Monday in response to media queries: “After looking over the incident, we are planning to call in the defendant for an investigation if needed.”

Hwasa, who made her debut with Mamamoo in 2014, left her long-time agency RBW for singer-producer Psy’s P Nation in June.

RBW did not comment on the incident at the time, while P Nation responded on Monday that it was “looking into the facts internally”.