'It brings shame to the public who witnessed it': Mamamoo's Hwasa was reported to police due to 'perverted' dance move

While we can only dream about Taylor Swift performing in our schools, one university in South Korea on the other hand actually invited top K-pop stars to their festival.

The star-studded lineup for the Sungkyunkwan University Festival included girl groups Itzy and Ive, Psy and Lee Hyo-ri. But it was Mamamoo member Hwasa's performance that caused the most buzz — albeit for the wrong reasons.

On May 12, the 27-year-old performed a medley of Mamamoo songs and her solo song Don't (featuring rapper Loco). During the latter, Hwasa squatted on stage and made a gesture of licking her hand and bringing it to her crotch.

The performance was recorded for reality show Dancing Queens on the Road, and the camera cut away at the moment to show the audience's shocked reaction to the risque move.

The full performance was however shared by K-pop fancam channels and went viral, causing an uproar.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bypQ0SakJCo&ab_channel=DaftTaengk[/embed]

On July 10, it was reported by South Korean media Chosun Ilbo that a parents' association had filed a police complaint against Hwasa for her performance.

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"Hwasa's gesture suggested a perverted sexual act and was enough to bring embarrassment and shame to the public who witnessed it," the complaint stated.

"As the gesture doesn't fit the context of the choreography, it cannot be interpreted as performance art."

Seongdong Police in Seoul confirmed to media: "After looking over the incident, we are planning to call in the defendant for an investigation if needed."

Hwasa's management P Nation responded that they were "looking into the facts internally".

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drimac@asiaone.com