Award-winning Vietnamese singer Dam Vinh Hung has denied any intention to offend anyone after critics said he wore what appeared to be a medal given to Southern Vietnamese and foreign soldiers during the Vietnam War at a recent variety night “The Day You Light the Stars” performance.
Some Vietnamese were outraged by the piece of costume jewelry that Hung wore, which the critics said looked just like a Republic of Vietnam Legion of Merit medal.
North Vietnamese forces and their southern allies defeated the U.S.-backed South Vietnam, or the Republic of Vietnam as it was officially known, in 1975, reuniting the country.
On Sunday, the Vietnam People’s Navy page posted photos from Hung’s performance on its social media site, which has 20,000 followers, calling the medal “the ghost of the puppet regime.”
The following day, Hung told his 6.5 million followers on his fan page that he had not intended to offend anyone.
He posted a close-up of the medal, showing it bore the slogan “High Quality Garment.”
Hung said it was a normal fashion accessory decorated “to make the outfit more eye-catching, with absolutely no political implications as the websites are claiming."
He said the outfit he wore for the performance was “personally designed by [actor and model] Tuan Tran,” and inspired by the outfits Hung liked on international fashion catwalks.
However, Hung said he would not be wearing the costume at his upcoming show in Hanoi to avoid misunderstandings and “bad elements taking advantage.”
Hung is no stranger to controversy. In 2022, the Vietnamese media reported that U.S.-based impresario and former showgirl Lien Pham had filed for divorce from him after many years of secret marriage.
Hung confirmed in 2021 he had U.S. citizenship, saying on YouTube “I still retain my American nationality.”
Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn.