Vietnamese pop sensation Dam Vinh Hung has been fined and banned from performing for nine months after wearing an accessory that resembled a former Republic of Vietnam medal.
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee sanctioned Hung, whose real name is Huynh Minh Hung, for a live show in May. During this performance, he donned a military-themed costume adorned with a medal similar to those issued by South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
The singer faced criticism from some Vietnamese for wearing what they claimed looked like a Republic of Vietnam Special Service Medal. North Vietnamese forces and their southern allies defeated the U.S.-backed South Vietnam, officially known as the Republic of Vietnam, in 1975, leading to the country’s reunification.
Special Service Medals were typically awarded to Vietnamese and foreign soldiers who made notable contributions to the former Republic of Vietnam.
Dam Vinh Hung, 52, is now required to pay a fine of 27.5 million dong (approximately USD 1,100), as per a decision signed by Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, vice chair of the People’s Committee.
Hung, one of Vietnam’s highest-paid singers, also performs prewar tunes, songs by Trinh Cong Son—considered Vietnam’s greatest songwriter—and “yellow music,” a genre produced in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, whose flag featured a yellow background with three red horizontal stripes.
The committee accused Hung of “employing outfits, languages, sound, visual, movements, media or methods which go against tradition or affect moral, health and psychology of the general public negatively” under Article 3 of a 2020 government decree on performance arts.
Attempts to reach the communications department of Tieng Hat Viet Entertainment Co., Ltd., established by Hung in 2005, for comment were unsuccessful.
Images of the costume and medals worn during the performance were posted on Dam Vinh Hung’s Facebook page on May 6, 2024. Hung wore the military uniform and medal during the variety night “The Day You Light the Stars” performance, igniting a debate on social media.
The Facebook page of the Vietnam People’s Navy, which has over 20,000 followers but lacks the verification blue check mark, posted several photos of Hung, criticizing him for wearing the Special Service Medal and referring to it as “the ghost of the puppet regime.”
In response, Hung stated on his Facebook page that the medals he wore were fashion accessories “to make the outfit more eye-catching, with absolutely no political implications.” He also posted a close-up photo of the medal, showing it bore the words “High Quality Garment,” to demonstrate that it was not a former Republic of Vietnam medal.
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